Love Lessons
by SWPrincess
Summary: New to Mystic Falls High, Damon Salvatore is both excited and horrified to find he is falling in love with his student, Elena Gilbert. But what happens when they overstep the boundaries, and their friends and enemies discover their illicit secret?
1. Chapter 1

_**LOVE LESSONS**_

**ELENA GILBERT: STUDENT. DAMON SALVATORE: TEACHER. NEW TO MYSTIC FALLS HIGH, DAMON SALVATORE IS BOTH EXCITED AND HORRIFIED TO FIND HE IS FALLING IN LOVE WITH HIS STUDENT ELENA GILBERT. BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY OVERSTEP THE BOUNDARIES AND SLOWLY BUT SURELY, THEIR FRIENDS AND ENEMIES DISCOVER THEIR ILLICIT SECRET?**

_*Breathes* okay.. this story is not only my first Delena fan fiction, but it is also my first EVER attempt at writing fan fiction. So as much as I love constructive criticism, please be nice to start with!_

_So this story is AU, which means no insanely hot, vamped-out Damon. But that doesn't necessarily mean he won't be insanely hot throughout this fic anyways ;-) So yep, no vamps, no witches and no werewolves at all. Another important matter is Damon and Stefan - they are not related in this story at all, nor are Elena and Isobel. So basically, just take the characterization at it comes, hehe._

_Finally I've tried to Americanize this story as much as possible in terms of school and laws etc. I'm from the UK, so if anything seems a little out of place or off, don't hesitate to let me know. (For example the students were going to be in school uniforms, but I decided against it.. good decision I think...) aaaannd I think that covers everything._

_I don't own TVD in any way shape or form, although I would like to own Damon Salvatore for at least five minutes..._

_Anyway, on with the story and happy reading to all you lovely Delena fans out there!_

_**Elena's POV**_

Elena Gilbert stared down at her shaking hands, feeling slightly nauseous at the prospect of leaving the house for school. So much had changed in her life since the last time she had walked through the bustling hallways of Mystic Falls High.

Caroline would be arriving any minute to walk with her and Elena wanted nothing more than to fake an illness, crawl back into bed and hibernate there for the next year or so.

It wasn't just the idea of bumping into Stefan that scared her, it was more to do with the endless amount of people who'll say _'I'm sorry about your loss'_ and _'if you need anything, just let me know'_ throughout the entire day and what could last for weeks that worried her. No doubt she would just fall to pieces, just like she did every time she spoke to Jenna, or Caroline and Bonnie, who knew not to mention a word of her parents' death. It was still too raw in her mind.

Elena sighed deeply and raked her fingertips through her long, brunette locks.

"You have to do this" she told herself sternly, looking hard at her reflection, "just smile, make it believable and people will leave you alone."

She heard a light knocking from downstairs, followed by her Aunt Jenna opening the front door.

"Elena, Caroline's here!"

"I'm coming!" she called back, taking one last look in the mirror before she made her way down stairs to find Caroline beaming at the front door.

The bubbly blonde smiled and waved,"Hey Elena! Oh my God, are you excited!'

Elena pulled a face, "Excited for school? I'm bouncing off the walls, Caroline."

"Oh don't be like that" flitted Caroline while Elena slipped on her converse, "it's our last year before college, so we've _got_ make it a good one!"

Elena smiled as she pulled on her jacket, it never ceased to amaze her how excited Caroline could be over almost everything. But she loved her for it, and it instantly made her feel a little better.

"Have you got everything?" rushed Jenna's voice from the hallway. Elena turned around to find her Aunt looking flushed amid her busy, morning schedule.

"Yes Aunt Jenna, and it's really not me you should be worrying about."

"Whadd'you mean?"

"Have you triple checked Jeremy's got out of bed?"

Jenna's eyes widened and she quickly marched upstairs to her nephews bedroom. Elena giggled, called out her goodbyes and left the house.

So far so good. Perhaps today wouldn't be as bad as she thought.

_**Damon's POV**_

Damon Salvatore tapped his fingers on his briefcase, glancing up at the clock every 5 to 6 seconds. He let out a breath, trying to calm his raging nerves. _Just relax_ he told himself.

He hoped he was keeping his cool, calm exterior. He didn't want to look riddled with nerves, even if he was feeling it. First impressions were always important to him. He did not want to mess up his first day as a fully qualified teacher.

A small cough for his attention made his head turn to the right. The receptionist was beckoning him to come forward to her desk. He pointed to himself, as if he didn't know she meant him despite the fact he was the only other person in the room. _Good going you, douche _mocked his brain.

As he walked over, he noticed she was displaying her cleavage to him in the most unsubtle way. She squeezed her arms further against her breasts, resting them on her desk for his viewing pleasure as she smirked up at him. She was rather bold for someone who was clearly over the age of 40.

"Are you Damon Salvatore?" she asked, practically purring his name.

Damon furrowed his brow slightly,

"Uh yes, I gave my name to you when I walked in ten minutes ago?"

Her front faltered a little, but she quickly recovered.

"Oh silly me," she cooed, "I just needed to check for my files,"

"Okay..." said Damon, not really knowing where this was going.

"Damon Salvatore?" came a familiar voice.

"Mrs Lockwood," said Damon politely, addressing the principal with a warm smile as she extended her hand to shake his. He took it, pleased she'd rescued him from the lust-hungry receptionist.

"Oh it's so nice to finally have you with us, are you excited?"

"Very excited, though a little terrified of what the kids may have in store for me. A few tacks on my seat, perhaps?"

The principal laughed heartily as she lead the way outdoors towards the English department.

"Oh I'm sure you have nothing to worry about. Have you managed to explore the grounds?"

"I have a little" Damon lied, cursing himself for setting his alarm clock too late, "though I'm sure I'll find my way around eventually."

Mrs Lockwood gave a running commentary of the schools history as they walked towards the English department. She threw a few sultry looks over her shoulder as she went, mistaking the polite smiles he returned for ones of a similar gesture to her own. Damon prayed there were male teachers in this place. The women were beginning to scare him a little.

Finally they arrived to their destination. The inescapable smell of 'school' drifted through Damon's nostrils as they walked down the empty hallways. It was a nice school; clean and the classrooms were spacious. During his university years on teaching placements, Damon remembered some of the hovels he'd taught in, with classrooms barely bigger than the cleaners closet. Thank God he was on to bigger and better things.

The sound of laughter echoed down the hallway as Mrs Lockwood directed Damon towards the faculty lounge. A tremor of fear rippled through Damon's body. He had a nightmarish vision of several older women, staring at him as though he were the springbok and they were the lions, waiting to pounce on their prey.

Mrs Lockwood slowly opened the door and the room silenced a little,

"Good morning everyone," she chirped. Damon waited out of sight, clutching to his briefcase tighter than ever before. "I have your new recruit, Damon Salvatore with me,"

She gestured for Damon to enter the room. He smiled and stepped in the doorway to meet several faces staring back in silence.

"Hey everyone" he said with a slight wave. A few sleepy hellos were given in return, some more enthusiastic than others, the women in particular seemed to brighten up a bit.

"Anyway I must get back to my office," said Mrs Lockwood, breaking the awkward silence that had blanketed the room. Damon jumped a little as she squeezed his arm, "if you need _anything, _I'll be in my office."

Damon swallowed down the dry lump in his throat.

"Thank you,"

With a smirk, she eyed his physique one more time and left the room without bothering to say goodbye to the rest of the staff. Damon turned back to the few who still stared at him, while some had returned to their conversations.

"Hey man, how's it going?" asked one of the guys leaning against a unit top, his arms folded lazily across his chest.

"Uh okay, so far" said Damon nervously, gingerly placing his briefcase to the floor.

The guy edged a little closer and leaned in to mumbled under his breath, "A lot of the staff are miserable old fuckers. I wouldn't take it personally."

Damon half-smiled at the comment, finally sinking in to his comfort zone.

"Good, because I was beginning to think I'd grown another head."

The guy laughed and slipped out his left hand,

"Alaric Saltzman,"

Damon took his handshake with a firm grip.

"Damon... Salvatore"

_So there you have it, the first chapter! I'm sorry there is no Delena action yet, but we're a patient bunch if the show is anything to go by , so I promise to deliver DE's first meeting in the next couple of chapters._

_I look forward to reading your reviews and if you have any DE fanfics of your own please let me know and I'll be sure to check them out. _

_Anna xxx_


	2. Chapter 2

_Okay so here we are with Chapter 2 of 'Love Lessons.'_

_Again, I don't own any part of TVD (but again... I wished Damon could be mine for just a lil' while!)_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Elena's POV:<strong>_

"Seriously Bonnie, you can do waaaay better."

"Oh c'mon Caroline, he's not that bad."

"He's a washed out jock working at The Grill!"

"Oh yeah? Then what about Matt?"

Caroline wrinkled up her nose, looking incredibly offended.

"I'm _so _over Matt. I'm beginning to see why Elena dumped him for Stef-"

A collective gasp circulated around the three girls as they stopped in their tracks towards school. Caroline looked as though she wished she could take back her words and Bonnie glared daggers at her. Elena on the other hand, continued to stare at the ground between them, allowing the anxious swell in her heart to subside before walking again, not saying a word to either of her best friends.

As Caroline sucked in a breath to speak, Bonnie shook her head. It was best not to say anything at all.

Elena listened to their bickering and gossip in silence, finding it incredibly hard to fit in considering she'd missed out on so much over the summer. She'd practically become a recluse, feeling safe and secure within the four walls of her bedroom. Sometimes spending hours pouring over pictures, postcards and other sentimental things that kept her closer to her parents memory. She felt a huge weight of guilt press on her shoulders whenever she tried to let them go, to continue life without them, even now walking to school, it felt like she was leaving them behind.

"Elena are you alright?"

Elena jumped back into the present to find Bonnie's hand gripping her arm with a very concerned look on her face.

"Uh yeah, I'm fine"

"You looked like you were about to pass out!"

And she felt it too. She hadn't had breakfast and barely touched her meal the night before. Her appetite was a thing of the past.

"I'm fine, Bonnie, really" she assured her, pressing a tight smile on her face and heading over towards the school grounds ahead.

If being coddled by her closest friends wasn't bad enough, Elena _just had_ to see Stefan wander his way through the crowds towards her. As soon as her eyes fixed onto his, it was already too late to pretend she hadn't seen him and walk in a different direction. Her legs seemed to root themselves to the ground as he came closer and she was unable to move, no matter how much she wanted to just hang her head low and storm away from what was inevitably going to be an awkward situation that she could do without.

With his shoulders hunched and his puppy-dog eyes, Stefan looked the perfect picture of 'dumped boyfriend hoping for a chance.' Elena shifted her eyes from the ground to his shoulder, unable to meet his stare dead on.

"What is it Stefan?" she found herself saying, and a lot harsher than she meant to. She knew she'd hurt him and he hadn't done anything wrong. But a boyfriend was the last thing she needed in her life right now.

"I just thought i'd come over and say 'hi'" he said, his voice low and down right miserable.

Only a few words were exchanged between them and the awkwardness was at its peak. Elena twisted with the leather strap of her bag and bit her lip.

"Well, hi" she said, hoping that would be the end of it and he would go back over to Matt and Tyler in the distance.

"How're you feeling?" he mumbled. She could tell he was trying to make eye-contact with her desperately, and it worked.

"How do you think I'm feeling, Stefan?" she snapped, causing her ex-boyfriend to take a step back. "Really, you're asking me that question?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that, I meant..." he made out to grasp her slender arms in his hands but decided against it, and instead settled for resting one on his hip while the other ruffled through his hair nervously, "I just wanted to know how you are."

Elena suddenly felt guilty for reacting the way she did with him. She had no right to take things out on Stefan when all he'd wanted to do was be there for her. She was behaving like a total bitch and she knew it, but somehow couldn't help it.

"I know, I'm sorry Stefan I'm just..."

"What do you want Stefan?" came the clipped voice of Caroline Forbes from behind Elena.

How ever many times Elena explained to Caroline that it was _her _decision to split up with Stefan, Caroline always brushed it off and automatically assumed it was the boys wrong doing. And boy (no pun intended) did they feel her wrath.

"I just came to say hello to Elena," Stefan said tiredly, not wanting to put up with Caroline's bratty behaviour so early on a Monday morning.

"Yeah well you've said hello, so why don't you toddle back over to your merry band of men and leave her alone."

"Care, please," Elena sighed, staring up at the sky above as if hoping for a miracle.

"No it's okay, I'll go" said Stefan, then staring deep into Elena's eyes which made her want to break down and cry. There was a look of pure heartbreak behind them, and it tore her up inside. "We'll talk some other time, yeah?"

"Sure" Elena rushed, wanting him to leave before the tears fell against her will.

He nodded and quickly rushed away, hands shoveled deep into his jean pockets.

"Caroline you didn't have to be rude" spoke Bonnie.

"Did it look like Elena wanted him around? No. So I got rid of him in the easiest way possible" Caroline replied, feeling incredibly pleased with herself.

"Maybe that's Elena's decision to make and not yours."

"Guys, please!" Elena exasperated, causing both girls to stop their petty fighting and to listen to her, "you both really need to step back realize I don't need you both dictating what to say around me, what's best for me or anything like that. Can't we just be normal?"

They all looked to each other in silence, and they both nodded at Elena in understanding.

"We just wanna make sure you're okay," came a meek response from Caroline.

Elena smiled and tucked one of Caroline's bouncing, blonde locks behind her ear.

"I know, but biting Stefan's head off isn't going to do any good is it?" Elena joked,

"I suppose not" giggled Caroline, wrapping Elena into her arms and giving her a friendly squeeze.

"But that was such a shitty way to start day," moaned Elena as she pulled out of Caroline's embrace.

"Well you had to face him sometime," said Bonnie, "sooner rather than later right?"

Elena smiled in agreement as they all walked side by side towards Mystic Falls High's main entrance.

"Lets just hope some ridiculously hot new guys have started this year," said Caroline with a cheeky undertone to her voice.

"Now that'll be the day," mumbled Bonnie, "but whatever happens, this school year is going to be kick-ass"

All three girls giggled and Elena smiled appreciatively in agreement. Bonnie always knew _exactly _what to say. She grabbed Bonnie's right hand into her left and squeezed it gently.

"I'm holding you to that," she smiled.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Damon's POV:<strong>_

The sound of kids shouting, talking and laughing outside quickly made Damon aware that it was almost time for his first class. He sipped on the strong coffee that his new found friend Alaric Saltzman had made for him. It was foul, but Damon drank it to be polite.

"So how long have you been here?" asked Damon, wanting to keep the conversation flowing. And also trying to ignore the persistent staring from a particular teacher across the room.

"I started this time last year. I was the new blood until you arrived today, so thanks for taking up my position."

Damon laughed, already liking Alaric's humour.

...The man across the room continued to stare.

"I can already tell it's a pretty low rank on the teacher hierarchy" said Damon, glancing up to the incredibly rude man who still watched him closely. Alaric noticed who Damon was looking at.

"Oh him" he mumbled with distaste, "he's just one of many pretentious arseholes in this place who thinks anyone under 35 can't possibly know any better than himself."

"Hmm" mused Damon, worried about the picture Alaric was painting for him, but at the same time thanking him for being a straight talker. He took a sip of his coffee and turned his focus to another part of the lounge.

"Speak of the devil" muttered Alaric under his breath. Damon perked up and stood straight as his starer wandered over to him.

"G'morning Ric, how are you?"

"Not bad, John. How are you, did you have a good summer?"

"I did as a matter of fact." he said, continuing to blink over at Damon with an air of suspicion.

He was already beginning to piss Damon off.

"Yeah," said Ric, then clearing his throat, "well I better get to my class, good to meet you Damon,"

"You too" smiled Damon, shaking hands with Ric once more and watching him leave the room with another colleague.

"So... first day huh?"

"Yeah, first day. I'm looking forward to it though, I really can't wait to meet the kids."

Damon thought it better to remain polite, despite the fact the way his new accquaintance stared at him like he were his arch nemesis.

"I'm Jonathan Gilbert," he finally said, extending his hand and shaking Damon's.

"Pleasure to meet you,"

"I can imagine you're desperate to settle into your classroom. Shall we?"

John gestured for Damon to leave the room before him. With a slight sense of trepidation, Damon complied with a single nod, placed his coffee on the table in front of him and exited the room.

The wall down the hallway was tense. The atmosphere incredibly uncomfortable. John lead the way with his head held high, jingling a pair of keys in his left hand and humming to himself slightly. For whatever reason, his whole persona grated on Damon like nails to a dusty chalk board.

"Welcome to classroom E6, Damon."

John swiftly unlocked the classroom door and swung it open.

Wordlessly, Damon stepped inside _his _classroom. _Jesus, my classroom _he thought with a half-smile. The desks were made in pairs, and all of them faced his own desk at the front. He had the same feeling as when he first entered his room in his Halls of Residence at University five years ago. A sense that it was his own, his responsibility and his pride and joy. He let out a small laugh,

"This feels weird," he mused to himself, walking around his desk and brushing his fingertips over the smooth surface.

"Weird?"

He looked up to John at the doorway who's eyebrows were knitted together.

"Yes. I mean... this is actually happening and it's taken a long time to get here."

"Oh it's a walk in the park these days compared to what older generations, like myself, went through to become what we are."

This guy was certainly a martyr to himself. Damon simply shrugged,

"I can assure you I worked incredibly hard to get where I am" he said sternly, narrowing his gaze to the patronizing git standing in _his _classroom doorway.

"I'm sure," chuckled John.

Damon didn't quite know how to take his ambiguous response and quickly forced a sour smile onto his face.

The school bell shrilled through their ears, catching Damon off guard.

"First period begins in five minutes," stated John, turning on his heel and leaving the room. But not before turning back to Damon and adding two last words "...good luck."

* * *

><p><em>And so ends Chapter 2! <em>

_I really hope i've captured the characters personalities somewhat, as i'd like to keep that part true to the show. But the only way i'll know is if you're super, super nice and review!_

_Next chapter - will Damon and Elena finally meet? Hmm... we'll see ;-)_


	3. Chapter 3

_Hey everyone!_

_Apologies for not updating sooner. I've been as busy as a bee and found it difficult to find time to update. However I'm here now, and I bring you a nice, long chapter and one which I'm sure you will enjoy!_

_Again, I don't own TVD (but would very much like Damon... very, VERY much...)_

* * *

><p><strong><span>Elena's POV<span>**

Elena roved her eyes over her class timetable, praying to God she didn't have Math first thing on a Monday morning - and success, she had English!

"English, really?" moaned Caroline.

"You'd moan no matter what lesson it was" joked Bonnie while folding her timetable into her bag.

"I don't recognize the teacher initials" said Elena to no one in particular. She felt Bonnie hover over her shoulder as they spotted the initials 'DS' on her paper.

"Looks like we have new blood in our midst" announced Bonnie while Caroline rolled her eyes.

"Great, I wanted hot new boys and I get what's probably going to be a fat, balding English teacher."

The girls sniggered as they made their way to class, weaving their way through the throngs of students in their path towards the English Department.

Upon entering the building, Elena's eyes instantly clocked onto the person she least wanted to see. Even more so than Stefan. At the end of the hallway was her Uncle John, standing outside of his classroom door, watching his new students with a stony expression as they made their way inside. Everything about him made her blood boil and she subconsciously gritted her teeth, just like she had so many times in the first few weeks after her parents death to bite back the endless list of abuse that she wanted to scream into his face. She felt sick at the memories and felt her stomach tense painfully. Unwanted flashbacks of how he brushed herself and Jeremy's feelings under the carpet as if they didn't matter. Which was coincidentally after hearing her parents' will, and that his brother had left nothing to him. Not a single penny. It was all given to Elena and Jeremy, safely stored away until they were adults. Even in the darkest days when Jeremy went completely off the rails, John ignored Elena's pleas for help when she and Jenna felt hopeless. He was a cold, selfish and detached man who just didn't care. Elena only wished she could erase him from her memory.

Thankfully he didn't see her as she and her friends rounded the corner. At least that was one confrontation avoided. Her stomach eventually eased itself out of it's coil and she felt so much better knowing she was about to begin her favourite subject.

The girls entered classroom E6 and automatically looked to the front to find their new teacher - who was no where in sight.

"Lets grab a desk over there," said Bonnie, tugging on Elena's arm and leading the way. Caroline was quick to busy herself with catching up on the latest gossip with some of the other girls in the room.

Bonnie was smart and claimed a desk for them towards the back of the room, which meant they were behind Stefan who was several tables in front. There wouldn't be a single chance of him staring at Elena, passing notes or even talking to her during the lesson. But still, as Elena motioned between the desks to her seat she could sense Stefan was watching her with a sorrowful stare. She caught him in the corner of her eye as he turned back to face the front and chat to Matt beside him.

"So where's this teacher at?" pondered Bonnie as she made herself comfortable in her chair.

"Dunno" Elena mumbled, yanking her note pad and pencil case out of her bag. Taking out her frustration on the inanimate objects and slamming them down on the desk.

"What if Care was right and they are some fat old perv?"

Elena forced a quick laugh as she opened her note pad, ready to begin the lesson and forget about her Uncle, forget about Stefan and was more than ready to concentrate on something other than her parents for at least ten minutes. She had to try.

"It's a shame we don't have Mr Saltzman. He's gorgeous" said Bonnie, biting down on the end of her pen in a daydream.

"He's alright."

"Alright? Just Alright? Pfft, if someone better looking comes walking through that door, I'll give you my allowance for the year."

"I wouldn't worry about that," said Elena, looking up to the classroom clock that ticked 09:07. "It doesn't look like they're turning up anyway."

* * *

><p><strong><span>Damon's POV<span>**

"Shit, shit, shit!"

Damon was now on his hands and knees, crawling around the table in the faculty lounge trying to find the briefcase he had left behind. It included class registers, his timetable, lesson plans, pretty much everything that was vital.

As he slammed his fist angrily on the table top, he hadn't noticed someone enter the room.

"You okay down there?"

Damon looked over to find a woman, probably just a little older than himself, half-smiling down at him with amusement.

"Not really, i've lost my briefcase" he said, raking a hand through his raven, black hair. "Good first day, huh?"

She silently walked passed him towards a small closet by the window. She opened it for him to look inside.

Still on his knees, Damon shuffled over and hidden underneath a fallen coat was his briefcase. He yanked it out and sighed deeply with relief.

"Thank you so much," he said, incredibly grateful for her help. "I'm sorry, I don't know your name..."

"It's Isobel,"

"Thank you again Isobel." He smiled, flashing her one of his winning smirks in appreciation.

Then he remembered what time it was, and suddenly felt panic swell in his chest.

"Well i'd better get going..."

"Good idea. You're ten minutes late for your first lesson. But don't worry, Damon. Your secrets safe with me" she said with a slow flutter of her eyelashes, "i'll see you later."

On her way out she picked up the files that she originally came in for and left. Damon, only just realizing he was pretty much hugging his briefcase, clicked it open and began shuffling around for his timetable as he walked towards his classroom. He spared a thought to think about what he might walk into. When he found his timetable and saw he had a class of adolescent sixteen year olds, he actually felt a little scared.

"Please be kind" he mumbled to himself as he closed his briefcase outside his door. With a deep breath, he yanked down on the handle and walked in.

"Sorry I'm late everyone," he called out as he marched over to his desk. The loud talking was beginning to quieten down at his presence.

As he planted his case onto his desk, he flickered his eyes to study his class for a brief second, before picking up his marker pen and proceeding to write his name on the board.

"My name is Damon Salvatore," he said while he meticulously wrote his name, "however the powers at be seem to have an issue with you calling me by my first name, so how about we just stick to Mr Salvatore?"

Damon turned around to find pretty much everyone was writing his name down in their books. A few of the girls were noticeably whispering to one another. A wolf whistle echoed from somewhere at the back of the room and everyone laughed, including Damon, feeling slightly embarrassed as he fished through his papers for the class register.

"Alright, alright, lets run through the register so I can get to put some names to some faces" he said, sitting down in his plush, leather chair. "okay first name on my list," he clicked his pen, "Bonnie Bennett?"

* * *

><p><strong>Elena's POV<strong>

"_Sorry I'm late everyone"_

Elena looked up from her desk to finally see her new teacher.

She was instantly startled and shaken to see how breathtakingly beautiful he was. And for a few moments, Elena Gilbert could barely breathe.

"My name is Damon Salvatore, however the powers at be seem to have an issue with you calling me by my first name, so how about we just stick to Mr Salvatore?"

Elena could hear her heart pounding away in her chest as she noticed everyone else around her were writing his name in their notepads. Her whole body felt heavy and she could barely function, barely take her eyes from his body as he continued to write on the board. When he turned to look around the classroom, Elena waited long enough to see the brilliant blue of his eyes before scrabbling for her pen and messily writing down his name on her work.

A loud wolf-whistle pierced through the air, sending the class into fits of laughter.

"That was _so _Caroline" sniggered Bonnie.

Elena grinned, tucking her long hair behind her ears as she dared to look up. _Oh God... _he was smirking. It was the most delicious look Elena had ever seen and her stomach fired up with lust. It was completely crazy, she'd never felt this way about anyone before. Never at first sight. This was something else entirely.

"Okay, first name on my list... Bonnie Bennett?"

Elena was quick to avert her gaze from his to the table, unable to look at him properly without feeling herself go completely undone.

"Here's sir!" called out Bonnie with a raise of her hand.

He continued to make his way down the list and Elena knew her name was coming up. She knew as soon as she'd meet his stare, he'd instantly be able to tell she had a crush on him and she'd be permanently exposed. In her head she knew that sounded incredibly pathetic and it would mean nothing to him. However the nerves continued to build as she rapidly rapped her pen against her note book.

"Caroline Forbes?"

"I'm right here Mr Salvatore,"

From across the room, Elena actually saw Caroline under her veil of dark hair, give Mr Salvatore a little girly wave. It wouldn't surprise her if she winked too. She was too bold for her own good, Elena thought, though she secretly wished she could have just a slice of her confidence.

"And next we have... Elena Gilbert?"

As the blood in her veins rushed through her body, Elena blinked up to find those incredible blue eyes scanning the room to match a name with a face. Trembling, Elena slowly raised her arm, words escaping her completely the moment his eyes narrowed on hers.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Damon's POV<span>**

She didn't say a single word as her arm remained in the air.

Damon, lost for words himself, couldn't believe how _beautiful _this girl before him was. Never one to be left thoughtless or speechless, Damon knew this young girl, Elena Gilbert, was already something special.

"Here, sir" she said, her voice a little husky which made his stomach quiver.

"_She's sixteen - snap out of it" _spat his conscience.

That was all he needed to make himself focus.

"Pleasure to meet you Miss Gilbert," he rushed, quickly completing the rest of the register so he could begin his lesson properly.

"Okay, I'm sure you're barely able to contain your excitement about the literature you'll be studying this year" he explained, making sure to look around his students to maintain their attention and keep them focused. "And I can promise you Hamlet will not disappoint."

A wave of groans floated around the room and Damon half-smiled nervously. He would not lose them... yet.

"It's not like that Romeo and Juliet is it?" moaned Matt from the front.

"Nah, this is one for the boys as well, Mr Donovan" Damon explained, already getting a preconceived idea that this kid probably wasn't the brightest button in the box.

Damon glanced to the back of the room towards Elena Gilbert. As if she could feel him staring, she looked up with her big, beautiful doe eyes and Damon could barely string a single thought together.

"_Sixteen. Sixteen. Sixteen" _reminded the old brain that rattled around in his skull.

Damon tore his gaze from Miss Gilbert's to pick up a cardboard box full of copies of Hamlet. As he ripped through the celotape, it took everything he had not to glance up to her again.

"Okay you get one copy each," he announced, slamming the pile onto his desk as if it would get rid of his frustration. "Lose it, you pay for it. Are we clear?"

The class mumbled in response as Damon began walking between the aisles handing out books. The very eager Caroline Forbes, made sure to touch his hand as she grabbed her copy. She was definitely going to be quite the character this year. Mr Donovan and Stefan... Damon couldn't remember his last name, took the books from him in a less than enthusiastic manner.

"Each week we'll read so many acts and i'll prepare you an exam question to do in your own time, ready for our next lesson."

As Damon heard himself rambling on, he noticed he was getting closer to _her _desk. It was his goal to avoid eye contact. However he found that looking at the floor caused his eyes avert straight to her slender legs that were clad in black, skin-tight jeans.

"_Fuck..."_

"So make sure you listen, write your notes clearly and come back each week with a grade A essay."

He came to her desk, and he failed. He was lost in her eyes instantly.

"_SIXTEEN!"_

Her innocent face stared up at his as she accepted her copy of the book from him. She was incredibly beautiful for her tender age.

A small smile flickered on her lips and Damon quickly looked to Miss Bennett, handing her a book and turning to move back down the next aisle. He was terrified he was making it obvious as he made his way back to the front. As he sat in his chair, he ruffled a hand through his already tousled hair, opening his own copy to page one.

"Alright, Act one, Scene one; do we have any volunteers to read the parts of Barnardo, Francisco and Horatio?"

To his surprise, a few of the boys in the room raised their hands and began to read. Although rather slowly.

Throughout the lesson, Damon would occasionally look up in Miss Gilbert's direction. She was concentrating on reading every time and writing down the odd note. It actually infuriated him a little when she never seemed to be looking at him.

"_Sixteen remember?" _droned his conscience for the millionth time.

No sooner they were through the first scene, the school bell shrilled through everyone's ears for the next period. On cue, everyone leaped from their seats to leave, shoveling their books into their bags and shrugging on their jackets and coats.

"Okay guys, thank you for a brilliant first lesson."

She still wasn't looking as she packed away her belongings.

"Remember to read scene 2, pay attention to the language and scenarios, make notes where you can..."

Finally, she looked and Damon held her gentle stare.

".. and I look forward to seeing you all next week."

His view was obstructed by Caroline's blonde head of hair bouncing over to Elena. As he wiped away his writing from the white board, he watched Elena and her friends be the last to exit the room.

He promised himself right then and there, that he would never look at Elena Gilbert that way again...

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><p><em>So there you have it! Damon and Elena's (kind of) first meeting!<em>

_Next chapter will be up in about a week, I promise. However if I received plenty of reviews, it may inspire me to update MUCH sooner. I have big plans for this story, including a lot of intense, character driven moments that I cannot wait to get going. _

_Thank you, and I look forward to seeing what you think!_

_Anna x_


	4. Chapter 4

_Hello again everyone!_

_Thank you so, sooooooo much for all your lovely reviews. It really does kick-start those creative juices and makes you wanna write away to your hearts content. I'm pleased you're enjoying where this is going and I can promise you the next couple of chapters will NOT disappoint. I have big plans for our favourite couple. And Damon is about to play hero ;-)_

_Also in response to someone's review, I totally understand why you feel Damon is a little OOC. My reasons for this are pretty plausible; he's not the badass, domineering vampire that we're use to and for obvious reasons in this AU, he can't be as a teacher! So i've likened to writing him from a human-Damon perspective, but with strong characteristics of vamp-Damon (I hope!) You'll see the Damon you're after as the story continues, and as he gets to know Elena, John, Alaric and Isobel in particular. I hope that covers it!_

_Anyways enough rambling. On with the story!_

_I own nothing of TVD (...sadly.)_

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><p><strong>Elena's POV<strong>

The day was quickly passing by in a blur since her English lesson that morning. Elena found herself in a permanent daydream, drifting away in the middle of conversations, too busy thinking about the teacher with the cobalt blue eyes that sent her senses reeling into a frenzy. Her ribs were beginning to ache with the amount of times Caroline had elbowed her back into reality. And with one final thump from Caroline's bony limb, Elena decided to make the effort and actually listen.

"Elena did you hear me? Seriously, I'm asking for your advice on Matt and you're busy in cuckoo-land!"

"I'm sorry, I'm just a little tired" she said, shaking her head a little and leaning in over the table. Caroline huffed and continued.

"So yeah, he sent me a text earlier asking why I haven't made the effort to say hello. Lame boy move, right? I mean he totally..."

She tried. She really, really did. But Elena found herself falling into that dreamy haze once again, feeling her stomach flutter for just so much as thinking about Mr Salvatore's smirk that played on his lips in class. It was that smirk and the colour of his eyes which she could remember most. She cursed herself inwardly for being too shy to look at him more. It wasn't like he'd have been looking at her, so why be so timid?

Reality slowly came swirling back into focus, along with Caroline's relentless moaning and Bonnie's testing sighs of boredom. It was pathetic to be thinking so much about her teacher, but she couldn't help it! She'd had crushes on teachers before, like Mr Saltzman, but they'd be something to laugh and joke about amongst her friends. So why couldn't she do the same this time? Elena sighed as she rolled her finger round the straw in her drink. Something told her that this crush on Mr Salvatore was something entirely different from anything else she'd experienced before.

"And after that whole business with Aimee over the summer, you'd think he'd understand why I don't wanna see him anymore, right? What do you guys think?"

"Well I for one thought you were, and I quote _'so_ over Matt' earlier on today and now you can barely stop talking about him. He's got you wrapped around his little finger" said Bonnie.

"I am _so _not wrapped around his finger, I'm just... saying!" flitted Caroline, tossing her hair over her shoulder and slumping back in her chair with an angry huff. Elena and Bonnie shared a secret smirk, pleased that she'd finally been cornered into silence.

"Oh my God, Elena!"

The gentle voice floated from behind Elena and she twisted around in her seat to find Anna walking over with her friends. A look of concern was swept over her face and Elena just knew what was coming.

"Hey, Anna"

Without warning Anna leaned down and wrapped her arms around Elena, almost pulling her out of her chair into a hug.

"I am so, so sorry about your loss" she said, pulling away to slide her hands down to Elena's, "are you okay!"

"Yeah I'm fine, thank you" Elena replied, trying to pry her hands out of Anna's tight grip.

"If you need anything at all..."

"Thanks, but I'm okay, really" Elena said with an extra nod, hoping it would make her leave.

"Okay, well I'll see you around, yeah?"

And with that she bounced away across the cafeteria. Elena turned around and rolled her eyes. Bonnie bit her lip,

"How many times is that today?"

"Oh about a million," Elena sighed, but no sooner as she settled back into her seat she found her thoughts drifting back to Mr Salvatore.

"Ooh what's that look for?" Bonnie asked, which caused Caroline to spring back to life.

"What look? Did you have _that _smile?"

"What smile?" giggled Elena, the looks on their faces making her smile all the more.

"Oh don't play games, who's the guy?" asked Bonnie, giving her a look that told Elena to cut to the chase. But of course, she wasn't going too.

"It's nobody!"

"It's not Stefan is it?"

"No!"

"Or what about Tyler, he's been looking at you _all _morning."

"Don't be silly Bonnie, she would never go for Tyler!" said Caroline, quite defensively for some reason...

"Oh I know! It's Mr Salvatore!" Bonnie laughed. Elena felt her jaw drop, words unable to form in her dry mouth, "Oh my God, it is! I knew it!"

"He _is _hot. Did you see how well-fitted that suit was on his body? It fit him in _all _the right places" lured Caroline with a nip of her lip, "not to mention the eyes."

"Oh the eyes.." Bonnie echoed, "It's sinful for a teacher to be _that_ sexy."

Elena didn't realize she was holding a breath. She'd managed to escape the scrutiny of 'pathetic girl falling for her teacher' and instead they'd occupied themselves with pointing out Mr Salvatore's best bits. Which were, as Elena grinned, pretty much all of him.

The hairs on the back of Elena's neck stood on end, sensing that someone was near. Looking over her left shoulder, she found a lonely figure making his way over to their table. He looked more miserable and dejected than he did earlier than morning when he sulked over the grounds towards her. Awkward confrontation number two was about to begin.

Elena turned back to the table, pretending not to see him and hoping he would wander by. But she knew that wasn't going to happen. She could now feel his body towering over her chair.

"Buzzkill Bob" quipped Caroline, whom received a kick under the table from Bonnie.

"Elena can I talk to you for a minute?"

His voice was painful to hear and Elena found herself closing her eyes to shut back the tears that prickled. She needed to remain strong. If he saw a weakness, he would immediately use that as a reason for her not to give up on them, to remember what they had and all the usual talk he had come out with just after they broke up.

"Can it wait, Stefan?" she asked without looking, only to find Bonnie giving her the most condescending look from across the table. Elena understood she was being rude, and decided to look up to face him.

"It could I suppose. But I mean...I'd really like it to be now if that's okay?"

The sorrow in his jaded eyes was too much and Elena decided she couldn't stall their long overdue talk any longer.

"Sure" she nodded, seeing him smile as she stood up and followed him out of the busy cafeteria, making their way outside into the afternoon sunlight.

The walk was unbelievably awkward. Elena shoved her hands into her jacket pockets while Stefan scuffed the grass with his feet. She couldn't think of a way to begin and from the look on Stefan's face he was exactly the same. Although he seemed quite content walking side by side in silence. Finally with a drawn out sigh, Elena spoke.

"I'm sorry for avoiding you like I have, Stefan. I just... I've been... well you know."

"I know," he said, and she knew he really did. "And I'm sorry if i've been pushing my luck. I just didn't want to give up on us." They looked to one another, Stefan with hope, Elena without. She saw him clench his jaw as they continued to stroll along. "Is there hope for us, Elena?"

"Stefan..."

"Elena, please" he stammered, causing her to jump when he stopped to grab her by the arms to face him. "Don't you remember the good times we had?" he said, cupping her face in his warm hands.

"Stefan..." she began again,poising her hands gently over his and bringing them down from her cheeks. "A lot has changed for me over the last couple of months. I've changed and to be with you now it... it wouldn't feel right."

"Just now? So you're saying there's a chance in the future?"

He was bordering on desperate now and Elena needed to nip it in the bud. She dropped his hands and snaked her hands through her hair.

"I don't know Stefan."

"What do you mean 'you don't know?' Surely you have more to give me than that."

"Well I don't. I'm sorry."

She moved to walk away but he blocked her path.

"I can't settle for that, Elena. Please, why can't you understand that-"

"No, Stefan! Why can't you understand that my parents have just died and I couldn't give a fuck about anything else in my life right now!"

Everyone around them had stopped at her outburst. Stefan had taken several steps back and looked completely stunned by her anger. Elena, though shaken, waited until she saw her words had hit home to Stefan before walking away.

"Elena I'm sorry," she heard him say after her. She closed her eyes, again to stop the tears that urged to spill onto her cheeks as she made her way back to the cafeteria towards Bonnie and Caroline. As soon as they saw her, both girls leapt from their seats to pull her into a hug.

"What did he say to you, Elena?" said Bonnie, demanding an answer.

"Nothing. Just the usual." Elena felt her chest suddenly clench painfully, then relax, then tighten up once again. "I... I can't breathe properly." she said, struggling to speak through her impending panic attack.

"Lets get you home. To hell with chemistry class" said Caroline.

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><p><strong>Damon's POV<strong>

Day one was _finally _over. He'd survived.

As soon as his classroom emptied of students, Damon began to tidy up. He streamed between the rows of tables, straightening them up and putting chairs underneath them correctly. When he came to one particular seat he found himself coming to a stop in his tracks.

He could still see her bright, innocent eyes staring up at him as vivid as they did that very morning. The smile she wore for him, timid yet alluring, was still fresh in his mind even after a long, exhausting day. No matter how interesting, trying or boring a lesson had been, he still couldn't shake Elena Gilbert from his mind.

It both excited him and terrified him.

"I'm fucking screwed" he growled to himself, throwing the chair into the right position under the table and storming back to the front to collect his things from his desk.

"So, how was your first day?" came the voice of Alaric Saltzman from the door.

"Jesus, you sound like a parent asking a kid how their first day of school was," Damon joked.

"Well I s'pose I am in a way. Did you make any new friends?"

"Har, har" Damon replied, tossing a few pens into the top drawer of his desk. "Y'know it went a lot better than I expected. I haven't felt like ripping any of their heads off their shoulders yet, so I suppose that's a good start, right?"

"Perfect if you ask me," replied Alaric. "But yeah, how are you fixed for Friday?"

Damon thought for a minute, he knew full well he didn't have any plans considering he was new to town and didn't really know anyone. But he pondered anyway and shrugged his shoulders.

"I think I can squeeze something into my _hectic _schedule. Why, what's going on?"

"Well we're having a bit of a gathering on Friday night, just a meal and some drinks to celebrate the beginning of a new study year. Would you like to come along?"

"Yeah, sure. Count me in" said Damon. It wouldn't hurt to get to know everyone. Even John... perhaps.

"Good stuff. It's John who organizes the whole event. Which means once he leaves, that's when the party actually kicks off."

Damon chuckled, trying to envisage John Gilbert actually attempting to have any fun. It was a hard image to muster up.

Then suddenly, as though a light bulb had been switched on in his brain, Damon pieced the possible connections together. John Gilbert. Elena Gilbert. Although not the most uncommon surname on the planet it still felt like a huge coincidence. Were they related? It wouldn't be a massive deal if they were, but maybe it would explain why John was such a dick to him when they first met.

Then Damon realized Alaric was still waiting for a confirmation, and he hadn't said a word for a good minute or so.

"Sounds good to me. Where's it at?" said Damon, swinging his jacket over his shoulder as he and Alaric exited the room.

"No where special. The Mystic Grill?"

"Oh yeah, I've heard of that place."

"Yeah, we're meeting there at eight and afterwards a few of us will probably hit the nightclubs or something."

Damon silently hated the idea for one, simple reason. But, he decided to ask,

"You don't bump into any of the students on your nights out do you?"

"Nah. Well, not in the past couple of years i've lived here. I think we're pretty safe."

"Good," sighed Damon as they left the building. The idea of being seen by students while he was a drunken mess and strutting his stuff on the dance floor was near on unbearable.

"_But wouldn't it be __**sweet **__if Elena Gilbert happened to be there?"_

Damon quickly put that idea to rest before it ignited into a full on fantasy of actually imagining Elena swaying on the dance floor; her hair falling in her face, her hips rocking to the catchy beats of the music while she looked over to him underneath her dark eyelashes...

Yeah.. too late... already fantasizing. Thank God he was nearing his car in the parking lot.

"So I'll see you tomorrow, Damon" said Alaric, patting Damon on the arm as he walked away to his own car.

"Yeah, see you in the morning, Alaric. Thanks for today!"

"No problem!" he called over his shoulder.

Damon slid into his car and no sooner as he'd slammed the door shut he was thinking about her yet again. He rested his head on the steering wheel, wondering how on earth it came to be that he walked into Mystic Falls High that morning as a free, single man who could have any woman he wanted, to falling head over heels for one of his sixteen year old students... and falling hard at that.

"Get it out of your head, Salvatore" he told himself.

He roughly jammed his keys into the ignition and fired up the engine. The sooner he got home, had a cold shower and poured himself a generous amount of Bourbon into a glass the better.

Hopefully he would wake up tomorrow and Elena Gilbert would be settled in the back of his mind, and he could get on with his role as a teacher. His infatuation for her would be just a weird, first day nerves kind of... thing... that he could put it down to. He would completely forget about her.

But Damon, a smart and intelligent man, knew that was never, ever going to happen.

He was indeed... screwed.

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><p><em>And so ends chapter 4,<em>

_I hope it met your expectations! I apologize if there are any typos. I'm exhausted, but I really wanted to get this chapter out as a thank you for leaving me some awesome reviews._

_ I'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas about... well... anything, so please be amazing and keep the reviews coming in!_

_Anna x_


	5. Chapter 5

_Hello to all!_

_Thank you for all your lovely reviews yet again. It's good to know people are enjoying this story as much as I am writing it!_

_Okay so this chapter is allllll Damon. Again, apologies if he seems OOC, but this is AU and i've adopted the more human side of our Damon. Because lets face it, how adorable is he back in 1864? *squee*_

_The next chapter is going to be a BIG ONE. The one i've been itching to get out to you guys, but it would have just been waaaaaaay too soon. I'll explain more after this chapter, so on with the story!_

_Once again, I do not own anything of TVD (but I would STILL love to own Damon... werewolf bite, or no werewolf bite.)_

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><p><strong><span>Damon's POV<span>**

The days were dragging on by at a painfully slow pace. It was thursday, fucking thursday and Damon had to grit his teeth at the thought, wishing monday would come along already.

Sat at his desk, watching thirty, fourteen year olds work away at their tables allowed Damon time to think. Rent should have been the first thing on his mind, followed closely by his lesson plans for the next couple of weeks and to fix that incessant drip from the shower head in his apartment that continued to keep him awake on a night. Yet they were floating around in the back of his mind while still, after not seeing her since their first encounter that monday morning, Elena Gilbert remained at the forefront of his mind. She was on a constant, blissful loop in his head and he couldn't get rid of her.

And worryingly, he was starting to think he didn't want too.

Ignoring the shudder that riddled his spine, Damon checked his rolex on his left wrist. As if on cue, the school bell blasted through the room indicating the day was over. Again, like controlled robots, the kids jumped out of their seats, stuffed their work into their bags and prepared to leave.

"Okay, don't forget to read chapters 3 through 5 in your own time!" Damon shouted sternly, though he knew it had probably fallen on deaf ears.

While the kids made their way out of the room, Damon began his own ritual of packing everything away in silence. His ice-blue eyes sub-consciously glanced up to where Elena's seat was, where he could still see her glance up to him as she packed away to leave on Monday morning, wishing he could have that again right now, as opposed to waiting another few days to see her.

"I've lost it" he said to himself in a clipped tone as he moved to shut his briefcase.

He then remembered he needed to collect some papers to complete his lesson plans and he'd been told they were kept in the faculty lounge. Good job he remembered, otherwise he'd have wasted another evening of not actually sorting them out. Elena Gilbert was turning his brain into pureed mush.

Smoothing down his tie and white shirt, Damon exited his classroom and quickly made his way to the faculty lounge. He wanted to hurry up and get what he needed to avoid the school traffic on the way home. Yesterday was a total nightmare and he liked to keep his road rage streak to a very minimum. Rounding the corner and snatching on the door handle, Damon swung open the door and almost froze in his tracks to find Elena inside the faculty lounge on her own. He wondered if he wore the same expression as her, because she looked as though she'd just seen a ghost float into the room.

Damon quickly composed himself, remembering he was the teacher here and not some love-struck teenager. As he clenched his jaw and made his way inside, she looked down to her clasped hands on the table, taking a great interest at her twiddling thumbs while he wordlessly rounded the table towards the filing cabinets.

To talk, or not to talk. With a furrowed brow as he stood before the endless rows of pigeon-holes, he toyed with the idea. Why was she here in the first place? He assumed after a couple of days in the job that only misbehaving kids were sent to the faculty lounge. And Elena certainly didn't fit into that category. That, and it was the end of the day. No one was ever in here once school was out. Odd indeed.

As he found the papers he was looking for he came to his conclusion - to Hell with it.

"Rough day?"

There was a brief pause before she answered.

"W-what?"

Damon raised his eyebrows to look at her. She looked as timid as a mouse and he found it quite adorable. He smirked, and he secretly loved it when she couldn't keep eye-contact with him. Her eyes darted back to her cupped hands on the table. Damon noticed how she lowered her head when she began to blush.

"Well I can't imagine you're in here for anything good," he replied playfully, hoping it would loosen her up a bit. She looked - tense.

He expected her to answer, and it concerned him slightly when she made a determined effort to look up at him and reply, only to find she had to look away because she was fighting back tears. Damon frowned hard, his mouth fused into a straight line as he studied the fragile girl in the seat before him.

'_Way to go, dickhead' _mocked his brain. Damon mentally punched himself for behaving so laid-back with her when he had no idea why she was sat in this room. He knew he should have remained authoritative and he did the exact opposite. And now here she was holding back tears.

"Miss Gilbert I..."

"Right, Elena..."

Damon snapped his head up to find Jonathan Gilbert strolling into the room. He hadn't looked up, as he was busy rooting through some files in his hands, which meant he hadn't noticed Damon stood directly beside Elena straight in front of him."...now I have _finally_ managed to get hold of you for longer than five minutes we can get down to business about the property your father left to you and Jeremy in his-"

As John's eyes raised upwards only to land upon Damon Salvatore, Damon shot him a stern look and glared with his stony, blue eyes. It caused John to falter in his stance, but he quickly regained himself and cleared his throat.

"Why, Mr Salvatore, how can I help you?"

Damon had continued to stare at him with a hard expression for a few more seconds before looking down to Elena in her seat. He knew she could tell he was looking at her, but she refused to look at him. Damon shot back to John who had now dropped his files onto the table and had his arms cross over his chest in a defensive manner. Damon grinned a little, keeping in mind that John was, however unfortunately, his superior and with the right reasons, could probably have him out of a job like 'that.'

"I just came in to collect some lesson planning papers," Damon said monotonously, waving the wad of papers in his hands nonchalantly. "I hope I haven't interrupted anything."

"No you haven't.. not quite anyway" said John with his usual clever tone which irritated Damon to no end.

Damon suddenly heard the breath hitch in Elena's throat. Oh he so _badly_ wanted to jump to Elena's defense. She was shaking like a leaf in her seat, but he had to remember where he was, who he was, and what he could and could not say. Not to mention he had no idea what was going on. But he just _knew _Elena was the victim.

However Damon couldn't resist playing with fire. Just enough to burn the very tips of his fingers at least.

"Well I'll stall your meeting no further," he said to John. And just as he made it clear he was about to leave by taking a step forward, he looked away from John and back down to Elena in her seat, making her notice he was still there beside her. "I hope _everything_ is alright, Miss Gilbert." As her hazel orbs blinked up to meet his face, he noticed them linger on his lips for the slightest of seconds before finally looking into his eyes.

"Thank you, Mr Salvatore" she whispered hoarsely.

"Yes thank you Mr Salvatore, but that will be all" pushed John, clearly wanting his pest of a new teacher to leave the room.

Damon bowed his head and swiftly left the lounge back to his classroom.

It bothered him. Everything about those few minutes in that room with Elena made him feel uneasy. Why was she so upset? And what the Hell was John talking about? Damon shook his head and began to pack his things away into his briefcase. It was none of his business and he wasn't going to meddle to the point where it was. He snapped his case shut, threw his jacket casually over one shoulder and made to leave the room.

But with his final step towards the door, he found his hand frozen firm on the door handle. The image of Elena looking up at him with tears on the verge of falling between her thick, dark eyelashes made him stop. He could not leave without finding out why she was...

'_Stop right there - just open the door and leave' _warned that inner voice.

With a hard grip on the handle, Damon yanked open the door and made his way down the hallway. This was getting beyond ridiculous. She was a fucking student and was fast becoming a waste of valuable time in which he should be focusing on his new job. A pretty sixteen year old who knows nothing of the world wasn't going to ruin that for him. Period.

As Damon made his way past the faculty lounge, he slowed down at the sound of raised voices.

"_No, I've told you, I'm not discussing this with you anymore!"_

It was Elena, her voice uneven and distressed.

"_Elena you need to understand that I only want to do the best for yourself and Jeremy"_

At this point Damon stopped. The temptation to listen was just too much.

"_The best? Since when did you want the best for us?"_

Her voice had grown louder, indicating she had made her way over to the door to leave. On the verge of being caught, and remembering how he said this girl was not going to control his every thought and move only moments before, Damon forced himself to leave the building.

Thanks to his prying and eavesdropping, Damon landed himself right in the middle of rush hour. He cursed under his breath as he crawled forward in the slow moving traffic, just wanting to get back to his apartment and unwind for the evening. He rested his hand lazily on the steering wheel while he propped his arm on the open window, using the other to flick absent-mindedly through the radio stations.

"Great, this is going to be a long..."

He stopped in his own musings when his sight landed on Elena Gilbert in his rear view mirror, walking down the sidewalk with her arms crossed firmly around her sides and her chin tucked down to her chest, completely avoiding eye-contact with the world around her.

Even from a distance, Damon could tell she had been crying. Her eyes were red raw. As she slowly crept out of sight in his mirror Damon cocked his head to the side to watch her walk past.

He could practically feel the words 'Elena, would you like a ride?' trying to burst from his parted lips. She would hear, there was no question about that. But knowing any one of her friends or his students could be around in the car behind or in front of him could risk raising a few eyebrows, even if his intentions were just to give the girl a ride home. But once again, the dangerous desire to be that one step closer to the beautiful creature walking by his car, was just too much of a good thing to avoid.

As he cleared his throat, Damon made to call after her,

"Ele-"

BEEEEEEEEEP!

The car from behind blasted their horn. Damon, almost jumping out of his skin at the sound, looked forward with wild eyes to find the traffic in front had all but disappeared.

BEEEEP! BEEEEP!

"ALRIGHT!" Damon yelled, feeling his road rage curdle within "fucking prick."

With one last glance, Damon watched Elena walk out of his sight, and then quickly sped towards his exit a few yards away, all the while thinking to himself...

_..."When will Elena Gilbert get out of my fucking head?"_

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><p><em>And so ends chapter 5! <em>

_So to all of you lovely Delena fans out there - be amazing and clickety-click on the review button to leave your thoughts. _

_As I said before, the next chapter is pretty explosive on the Delena front. So if you want to see Damon playing hero, a fun-loving Elena and a very alcohol induced Alaric Saltzman, leave lots and lots of reviews to get me updating quicker!_

_Anna x_


	6. Chapter 6

_Hello Delena fans!_

_Firstly - WOW! How awesome was the finale? I'm still getting over **that **scene between Damon and Elena. Did anyone else scream like a total loon? Haha!_

_Secondly, I apologize for not updating sooner. I hate it when fics aren't updated regularly but I do have my reasons. My poor mama has broken her left foot and right arm so she's a little incapacitated at the moment! I'm playing the role of mum in the house. Quickly appreciating how hard mums work to look after us, ha. However I managed to sway a little time to update Love Lessons and this is my favourite chapter to write so far._

_And just as a few reminders, John **is **Elena's Uncle in this story. She is in no way related to Isobel. Her parents were those whom died in a car accident. _

_And in reply to some reviews I understand Elena is young at 16, but doesn't that make it allllll the more scandalous ;-) mehehe._

_Anyway, enough rambling, on with the show!_

_I own nothing... not even a wolf-bitten, rabid Damon. (btw, how hot did he look with all that sweat... or is that just me?)_

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><p><strong><span>Damon's POV<span>**

The friday night teacher get-together was quickly shaping out to be one of the most tedious and painful evenings of Damon Salvatore's life.

Sat opposite from Jonathan Gilbert at the dinner table, Damon continuously found the man to be glaring at him. Damon would be talking, joking and laughing with the others, yet John was always watching with an inquisitive glare. It was impossible to ignore, and Damon found himself refraining from bringing the issue forward multiple times. Instead, if John wanted to play that game, then so be it.

"And I swear to fucking God, I couldn't wait to see the back of that kid,' Damon heard Alaric joke, causing several other members of staff to laugh out aloud while he turned his full attention to John, who surprise surprise, was staring directly back at him.

A hand playfully slapped on Damon's arm, "sorry you've got Tyler Lockwood this year Damon, he'll probably be the most difficult son of a bitch you'll encounter for a while."

"Not likely" came Damon's low response while his eyes narrowed on John, who blinked away and casually took a sip from his red wine.

"What was that? You're calling me a bitch?" slurred Alaric, slightly drunk after several buds, yet it amused the entire table to no end. Damon smirked and slowly raised from his seat.

"Not at all my friend, but I am calling the next round. Same again everyone?"

He received several nods and murmurs of approval as he turned to make his way to the bar. No sooner had he caught the bartenders attention, John appeared by his side.

"Thought you may want a hand with the drinks,"

Before Damon could reply, the bartender slapped his hands on the bar for his attention. Damon reeled off the list of drinks fairly quickly and turned back to John.

"I appreciate the gesture," he said, but in a tone that spoke otherwise.

"So how have you found your first week at Mystic Falls High, Damon?"

"Very rewarding, the kids are amazing and the staff have been very welcoming."

"Is that right?"

"Well.." rouse Damon, coking his head to the side and arching one of his perfect eyebrows, "most of the staff have been welcoming."

"Ah.. you see I was referring to the kids."

"Sure you were" said Damon with a half grin. The stony look he received from John didn't phase him in his slightly intoxicated state. Yet he knew he'd probably regret saying that come monday morning. He was clearly already in the dog house for overstaying his welcome in the faculty lounge when John was speaking with Elena. But thankfully for Damon, John hadn't raised that issue. It was a wise choice really, because Damon knew he's have trouble holding back his tongue if John decided to shit stir about it.

""So I understand you're teaching my niece, Elena Gilbert."

_Fucking typical,_ Damon thought.

"I am indeed," he replied, shifting on his feet.

"How is she doing?" John asked, each of his questions no less demanding than the last.

"Very well from what I've seen so far, she's a bright girl. Why do you ask?"

"Well I'm not sure if you know the circumstances of which she is under at the moment..."

John suddenly stopped speaking, and Damon didn't know how to react to his pause. Whether to answer or wait for him to continue speaking. The man was insufferable and a natural at creating an awkward atmosphere from absolutely nothing. Damon finally furrowed his brow and shook his head, hoping John would continue revealing what would probably be ridiculous and useless informa-

"Her parents were killed in a car accident earlier this year,"

A deafening silence fell between the two men. John stood with his usual unreadable expression while Damon remained hunched over the bar, frowning as he processed the information. He didn't know what to say, but he couldn't shake away the picture of Elena's grief-stricken face from his mind the day before. Was she crying about her parents?

"Here's your change, sir."

Damon shook out of his trance to take what little cash he had left the from bartender and shoved the crumpled notes into his pocket.

"If she ever appears to be upset or struggling to focus i'd like to think you'll keep this information in mind."

"Of course," Damon nodded, all cockiness aside, "that's a terrible thing to happen for someone so young."

"You have no idea," added John, grabbing as many bottle necks as he could and making his way back to the crowded table of laughing teachers. Damon watched over his shoulder, feeling a great amount of sorrow swell in his heart for Elena.

"Actually, I think you'll find I do" muttered Damon under his bourbon laced breath, all the while glaring at John who had returned to his seat.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Elena's POV<span>**

"Oh my Gosh! Elena, that dress is gorgeous!"

"You think so?" said Elena, adjusting the fitted, cobalt blue bodycon dress that hugged her body perfectly.

"Seriously, you look awesome!" screeched Caroline, clearly excited and eager to go out and enjoy a night with the girls. Even Elena felt a sliver of excitement about the evening ahead. It had been her first night out since the accident and she was ready to at least attempt to enjoy herself again. She took the glass of wine that Caroline held in front of her and took a quick sip.

""So do we know anyone else who is going out?" Elena asked while Caroline tottered over in her incredibly high heels to turn up the radio.

"Eugh, I heard Tyler might be out with Matt, but we'll avoid them." She took a long swig from her wine and her emerald eyes twinkled over at Elena, "strictly no boys tonight. Just us girls!"

Elena smiled warmly, secretly pleased there was no mentioning of Stefan, and that it would be just herself, Caroline and Bonnie. And as though Caroline could read her mind, she huffed and stomped over to the window.

"And where the Hell is Bonnie, exactly?"

"She'll be here," said Elena, sipping at the bitter tasting wine Caroline gave her.

"Ooh! Doorbell!"

Caroline clapped her freshly manicured hands and teetered passed Elena to answer what she assumed was Bonnie at the front door. Elena giggled, feeling her phone buzz for her attention in her bag.

*1 new msg*

*Stefan*

* GOING TO 'THE FONT' WITH MATT AND TYLER. WILL I C U THERE? X*

As Elena rolled her eyes and flipped her phone shut, Bonnie and Caroline wandered into the room.

"Uh oh, what's that look for?" asked Bonnie.

"Stefan's going" huffed Elena, scratching a hand through her tumble of brunette curls with frustration. "So much for the boy free night."

"Well, we could go to Factory? That place is meant to be awesome." suggested Caroline.

"That's way out on the edge of town," moaned Bonnie.

"Yeah, Jenna would freak if she found out" added Elena.

"Oh c'mon!" Caroline flailed her arms in the air, "what are we, twelve? No one will find out, who cares if it'll cost us a little extra for the cab on the way home? We're meant to be having a girly night, and no pig-headed boys are going to stop that."

Elena looked to Bonnie who grinned in agreement with Caroline's little speech.

"Okay," said Elena, "lets go for it."

"Brilliant," Caroline bared her pearly white teeth with a beaming smile and quickly left the room to go order a cab.

"So Stefan's still not getting the message?" said Bonnie, sipping at the glass of dry red wine that Caroline had forced into her hand. Needless to say, neither of the girls were enjoying the taste of it. It was probably something Caroline stole from the back of the alcohol cupboard that her mother wouldn't realize had gone.

"Nope, he still thinks were going to get back together eventually."

"Do you think that?"

Elena stopped to think about Bonnie's words carefully. Stefan wasn't a bad guy. He was very much perfect. As perfect as a boyfriend could possibly get. But with the death of her parents, Elena just didn't need the added pressure of a boyfriend in her life. And Stefan's constant coddling and treating of her like a fragile doll was not helping. She had to end it. For now anyway.

"I dunno. We'll just take each day as it comes," Elena said with a sigh as Caroline returned to the room.

"Cab's here already! Everyone got their fake ID's?"

Bonnie waved hers between her polished nails and Elena mumbled an affirmation.

"I'm going to get drunk enough until someone is hot enough to make out with" sniggered Caroline.

"What happened to the 'no boys' evening?" laughed Elena as the three girls climbed into the cab.

"Oh that still stands. But I didn't say anything about the men now did I?" winked Caroline.

Elena looked to Bonnie with a gasp and laughed.

"Tonight isn't going to end well," said Elena, though the excitement was coming in waves through her body.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Damon's POV<span>**

"I thought he'd never leave" slurred Alaric as he, Damon, Isobel and a few others watched John Gilbert exit the parking lot in his flashy BMW, driving en route to his home.

"So where are we going?" mused Isobel, slinking her way around to Damon's side and eyeing him with her big, brown eyes.

"I'll leave that decision to Saltzy over here" joked Damon, not entirely sure where in Mystic Falls, guaranteed them a good night out.

"How about Factory? It's pretty easy-going and not running amuck with fifteen year olds with fake ID's" said Alaric.

Damon nodded in agreement, not really caring where they went, so long as it was busy enough to lose Isobel who had happily attached herself to him like a leech.

The group clambered into a cab and made their way through the brightly lit streets of Mystic Falls. Damon tried to escape Isobel's company, but found himself against the window with her sat right next to him. The cab so was dark inside and no body noticed as she snaked her hand across his jean, clad thigh, squeezing at the hard muscle beneath her fingers.

Damon shuffled around, not in a way to disguise an arousal, because there was none there at all. He was attempting to writhe out of her grasp as he continued to talk to the others, trying to show her he wasn't interested. As her fingers grazed further to reach her goal, the taxi juddered to an abrupt stop.

"We're here!" announced Alaric, like no one had experienced the slight whip lash after the cab's sudden halt.

Damon was quick to jump out of the cab and walk alongside Alaric towards the club entrance. Enjoying the freedom of having the right side of his body to himself once again.

No ID was necessary as the two, twenty-something men entered the dark, smokey cave that was Factory without a problem. Damon whipped off his worn, leather jacket and handed it into the cloakroom for the evening, sincerely hoping it would still be there by the end of the night. It was his favourite item of clothing.

After ordering their drinks at the bar, Damon and Alaric made sure to hide themselves in a dark corner near the bar where Isobel and the others couldn't see them. She was pretty blatant when it came to her advances on Damon. A little too bold for his taste and he'd decided from the moment she helped him retrieve his brief case on his first day at work, that he was going to steer clear of her. He preferred someone who was a little more modest, someone endearing, someone warm and gentle..

_Someone like Elena..._ echoed his thoughts.

He tightened his grip around his drink and took a large gulp, cursing himself for STILL thinking about Elena Gilbert. It scared him. He was undoubtedly disgusted with himself for becoming so attracted to one of his students. But there was just something so captivating about her. It haunted him.

"So what did John want you for?" asked Alaric over the thundering music.

"Oh nothing much," said Damon, grimacing a little, "just being his usual self."

"Like I said, just ignore it, s'the way he is"

Damon opened his mouth and closed it again, unsure of whether to mention John's questioning of Elena, or what he saw the day before. He opted to take another drink, needing to forget about her.

"Has anyone caught your attention yet?" asked Alaric who browsed the crowd of heaving bodies.

"Not at all," said Damon, his mind flashing to see Elena's dark, almond shaped eyes staring up at him from her desk. "What about you?"

"Maybe the blonde over there, but red heads are more my thing. Not enough red heads these days."

Damon chuckled, glancing around the dark room to find Isobel looking at him from the other side of the bar.

"Oh shit," he muttered. Alaric noticed where he was looking and groaned.

"She wants you, Salvatore. No denying that."

"I know, I'm pretty scared."

Alaric laughed and elbowed Damon in the arm quite painfully.

"Don't worry, we'll work as a team to protect your family jewels from that one."

"A team huh?"

Alaric swallowed his drink hard and nodded, "yeah, we'll pick a name for it and everything."

"Yeah, like what?"

Alaric shrugged comically, "how 'bout Team Badass?"

Damon threw his head back with laughter. Alaric joined him, though looked slightly hurt that his efforts of a team name were shot down.

"How about we forget the name and just get hammered?"

* * *

><p><strong><span>Elena's POV<span>**

Elena smoothed down the delicate fabric of her dress as she stepped onto the side walk, enjoying the cool night air on her skin after sitting in the stuffy cab for almost half an hour. She found herself sandwiched between Caroline and Bonnie as they strutted towards the club entrance, receiving various glances of envy from other girls who passed them.

"ID's please, ladies" droned the hulking bouncer at the doorway.

The three girls flipped out their fake ID's and watched the guard study each and every one carefully. He nodded and handed them back, gesturing them to enter the nightclub without question.

Caroline planted a kiss on her ID and giggled, "thank the maker for these bad boys."

Elena rolled her eyes as she clasped at her clutch bag, feeling a little nervous at the idea of entering the main dance room of the club. It felt like a million years ago that she had set foot in one. A time when she was carefree and happy. It was becoming more clear with every step to the bar that she had become a shadow of the fun, exciting girl she used to be. Tears stung at her eyes.

"What's wrong?" asked Bonnie, placing a gentle hand on Elena's shoulder.

"Oh nothing, it's the smoke making my eyes water" lied Elena, plastering a fake smile on her face as Bonnie turned around to the bar.

"I'll get the first round in," said Caroline, flicking her bouncing blonde hair over her bare shoulders. "How about shots?" she said mischievously.

"Go for it," grinned Bonnie, curling her arm around Elena's to squeeze her closer to the bar. It was so busy, Elena could barely raise her arms to slide her way through to the girls. Her foot stood on another's, causing them to yelp an over-exaggerated 'ouch.'

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" blurted Elena, turning to find she'd stood on the foot of none other than Miss Flemming.

Elena felt her cheeks blaze a bright pink colour as Miss Flemming looked her up and down with a less than approving look, while also trying to disguise her less than sober appearance.

"Elena what are you doing here?" she said in her authoritative tone.

The sound of her voice caused Caroline and Bonnie to look over their shoulders and quickly turn back again, hoping the weren't detected but Elena knew full well that they were busted.

"Please don't tell my uncle" Elena pleaded, her mind coming out blank for anything else to say.

Isobel pursed her lipstick coated lips in thought and gave the young student a quick smile of approval.

"Okay, I haven't seen you" she stated playfully.

"Thank you, Miss Flemming" chuckled Elena, watching as her teacher from two years previous wandered through the crowd and out of sight. That was a close one. Elena finally allowed herself to relax her tense shoulders.

"What the Hell was that?"

"She's not saying anything, Care, don't worry" said Elena, resting her elbow on the bar and fingering the shot glass that was filled to the rim.

"I hope so. God, of all the places to find a teacher it would be here" moaned Caroline, curling her fingertips around the glass and facing her friends. "Anyway, here's to an amaaazing night."

"Cheers!"

They threw back their heads and felt the sharp, burning liquid trail down their throats. Bonnie spluttered once she swallowed, clearly hating whatever it was Caroline had ordered. She'd ordered two more of the same, and the trio shot them back one after another, ending the last one in a fit of giggles.

"Whoo!" yelled Caroline, clapping her hands above her head and swaying to the thundering dance track that thrummed around the room. "Another round before we show 'em what we got on that dance floor?"

"Sounds good to me," said Elena. She curled her slender fingertips through her hair and from the corner of her vision, her eyes caught a very familiar figure descending the stairs of the club.

It was Stefan.

"Oh no" she mumbled, burying her head in her hands.

"What is it? Ohh.." the realization quickly drifted into Bonnie's voice and Elena squinted her eyes shut. She just knew he was coming over to them.

"How did he find out I was here?" Elena hissed to her, Bonnie shrugged, biting her lip and moving away slightly as Stefan skulked over to the three girls.

Elena stood up properly to face him. As usual, the puppy-dog look was staring back at her with full force. He closed in on her a little, making her shrink backwards towards the bar.

"How did you know we were here?" Elena found herself saying. Stefan briefly looked to his shoes, clearly trying to fabricate an answer, but coming out empty. Elena raised her eyebrows with realization. "You followed us?"

"I knew you wouldn't go to Font if I were there" he stated, slowly furrowing his brow as she shook her head.

"Seriously Stefan, you need to get a grip" butted Caroline.

"Shut up, Caroline." Stefan spat.

"Hey, don't talk to her like that!" snapped Elena, feeling her annoyance and anger quickly rise to the surface for the first time. He was getting on her very last nerve, and Elena was always one for having patience. Stefan, taken back by her outburst, attempted to grab for her hands.

"Can we talk in private?" he asked as she slipped her hands away from his.

"Stefan we're on a girls night out," explained Bonnie. Elena was thankful that at least one of them was calm in the situation.

"Just for five minutes, that's all I'm asking,"

"Oh for goodness sake Stefan will you just-"

"Wait, Care, it's okay" Elena said, raising her hand in front of her antsy friend and looking over to Stefan. "Five minutes" she stated.

He smiled and raised his hand for hers to take. She was tempted, but kept her hands firmly to her sides as she made her way to a quieter area of the club. There was no way she was leaving the building. He'd only guilt her into letting him take her home early. Suddenly she felt her hands being grasped by Stefan, pulling her back towards him.

"Lets talk outside," he demanded.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Damon's POV<span>**

"I thought i'd never find you guys,"

"Oh really" quirked Damon with an exasperated edge to his voice, watching her with a clenched jaw as Isobel magnetized herself to his side once more. He looked over to Alaric who looked back with raised eyebrows. S_ome Team Badass..._ Damon thought with a slanted grin.

"What's so funny?" asked an irate Isobel.

Alaric was right, she was one to avoid if a simple grin got her paranoid.

"Nothing, just a funny thought" he replied lowly, taking a drink from his warm beer.

"Any other thoughts rolling around in that gorgeous head of yours?" she said, her voice husky and surprisingly sensual. But still, she had an invisible '**warning, stay away'** sign flashing right above her head. Damon shrugged,

"I was just wondering what came first; the chicken or the egg."

"What?"

"Or how about this riddle; what gets wetter as it dries?"

Damon looked down at her, biting back his laughter only to suddenly fear for his life with the less than amused expression etched onto her face.

"I'm gonna get another drink" Isobel said with a defeated attitude. As Damon watched her with a grin, he found he was lost of all expression, thought and movement when his eyes landed on none other than Elena Gilbert not six feet away from him.

Although the music was deafening, Damon could hear his own heartbeat thunder through his ears, and felt his blood ignite with heat through his body. She looked incredible. Her olive skin clashed beautifully with a rich, blue dress that hugged her body in a way that accentuated her curves just right and bared her tiny, soft-to-the-touch looking shoulders. He'd only ever seen her with her hair poker-straight, but tonight it was a cascade of dark curls that made her look incredibly sexy. It was hard for him to believe she was only sixteen years old. It seemed wrong somehow, and an unbearable tease.

It took him a few moments to look passed the aesthetics to see she was in the middle of a heated argument with her fellow student Stefan. Her button nose was wrinkled in disgust as Stefan spoke over her, his towering frame causing her to bend backwards slightly. Damon couldn't make out a single word over the powerful music, even though the argument was getting worse, catching the attention of the dancing bodies around them.

Damon suddenly found himself torn; should he intervene and calm the situation down, or just remain where he was next to Alaric, who was busying himself talking to a red-headed girl who went by the name of Jessica? When his sharp eyesight caught Stefan yanking on Elena's wrist, Damon made his move to break the teens up.

However a very familiar Blonde stormed forward and snaked in between the feuding couple to poke her finger repetitively into Stefan's chest, calling him what was probably all the names under the sun. Damon backed away a little, seeing the feisty Blonde had everything under her control while Bonnie rushed to Elena's side. As he slipped back into the shadows, Damon noticed Elena was beginning to weep through her waves of brunette hair. His hearts strings tugged a little, and he grabbed for his drink which he'd placed on the beer soaked table, taking a large swig until he'd sucked the bottle dry.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Elena's POV<span>**

Elena desperately tried to hold back her tears, she didn't want to ruin their girls night, or her make-up, but most of all she didn't want to ruin what confidence and strength she had reclaimed after so long just because Stefan was still longing for her. She felt Bonnie gently swipe her thumbs across her cheeks, wiping away the tears that managed to escape.

"Do you want to leave?" she asked softly.

Elena forcefully shook her head.

"No way. C'mon, it's my round."

As Elena pushed through the crowds she accidently stumbled into a guy on her left.

"Oops! I'm sorry!" she said, wondering when she had become so clumsy.

He chuckled heartily to himself, and gently helped her to stand firmly back on her feet. As Elena twisted around to face him she saw he was rather cute.

"No worries. I'm Mike,"

"Elena" she said, curling a stray hair between her fingers flirtatiously.

"Have you been crying?" he asked sweetly.

"Oh," Elena battered her hand away, "it was nothing. I'm all better now."

"In that case, how about I buy you a drink?"

Once Mike had successfully made it to the bar, Elena and the girls had been introduced to his friends, all of whom, were pretty good-looking and a little older, which made them more attractive. Elena thanked Mike as he proceeded to buy her drinks. As the conscientious girl she was raised to be, she made sure to watch he didn't tamper with her drinks while he purchased them. He was sweet, but you just never know. She thanked him with a winning smile as he placed a bottle of bud in her hand, making sure to brush her fingers as he did so. A warm buzz flowed through Elena's body. The night had thankfully been saved after Stefan's little cameo appearance.

"Dance with me!" blared Caroline, her hands reaching for the first two people in sight. One was Elena, the other was Mike.

The beat to the music was catchy and dark, with strobes of red and white lights flashing through the expanse of the underground club, sending everyone on the dance floor into a frenzy. Elena swayed her hips to the beat and threw her head back to the music in perfect timing, causing more than several pairs of eyes to take notice of herself and Caroline. Now in full swing on the dance floor, the alcohol had finally hit her system and she was loving every minute.

As she twirled, she bumped her back against Mike's chest and he held her close,

"You look amazing," he breathed hotly against her ear. Elena smirked, and rolled her hips in time with his lower body. When she felt it was getting a little too raunchy, she twirled out of his hold and made sure she was still with Caroline.

But on this one particular time, Caroline was no where in sight.

"Care!" Elena called through the crowd, only to have Mike pull her playfully back to his body.

She smiled back up into his hazel eyes through the blinding strobe lights, "I have to find my friends!" she shouted to him.

"They're at the bar, we're fine" he replied, entwining her fingers with his and yanking her flush against his body. Elena felt like she had no choice but to comply, and the alcohol spurred her on. He was fun, her friends were near by, she was having a good time - why stop?

* * *

><p><strong><span>Damon's POV<span>**

Damon watched on with a close eye. Fury was slowly bubbling up behind his cool, calm exterior as he kept his eyes fixed on the three older guys who were surrounding his three students. It was bad enough watching them buy drinks, but when he saw one of them hold Elena firm against his body on the dance floor, sliding his hands down her hips while she rolled her body against his, Damon couldn't help but grind his teeth with anger, uncertainly and most of all... with worry.

"I got your little riddle," he heard Isobel say.

Damon dragged his eyes away from the dance floor for a split second to acknowledged her.

"What?" he said, he little harsher than he intended.

"What gets wetter as it dries - a towel!"

He smiled with fake surprise, "well done!"

His attention instantly snapped back to the dance floor where he found Elena alone with the prick who had relentlessly bought her drinks for a good half hour. She looked wasted as he twisted her around, causing her to stumble against his frame for support. Damon didn't like this one bit. He was again, so tempted to intervene but it was a risk. What if he landed himself in trouble? What if Elena was perfectly fine? What if she was worried her English teacher was spying on her and called the police? The list was endless as Damon watched helplessly from his corner of the club. Feeling fear and anxiety tremor through him whenever he lost her through the crowds.

The guy had Elena's back firmly pressed against his chest, his head nuzzling against her shoulder and neck while his hands snaked down the curve of her breasts and down to her hips. Damon felt his fist clench under the table. When the guy's hands squeezed Elena's behind tightly between his fingers, Damon was close to snapping. He watched as Elena motioned to stand away after his wandering hands offended her. Damon smirked, pleased she wasn't allowing him to go so far.

He allowed his attentive gaze to rove across to the bar area to find Caroline or Bonnie. Bonnie was stood chatting to one of the guys against the bar, while Caroline was dancing farther away with one of the boys, clearly in more control of the proximity than what Elena currently was. Speaking of which, he looked back to find Elena and the guy talking in whispers. She was barely able to stand at this point without having to lean on the guys body. And then suddenly, he was directing her towards the exit of the club.

There was no way in Hell Damon was going to just stand there and watch her leave with him.

* * *

><p><em>DUN, DUN, DUUUUUUN!<em>

_Will Damon make it to Elena on time? Will Alaric make it through the night without throwing up? Review and you'll find out all in good time. (Very, very good time if I get plenty of them!)_

_I also had a little music playlist on the go for the dance club moments. Here it is incase you're interested:_

_"Don't Think " - The Chemical Brothers (highly recommend this one - the music played in the Black Swan club scene. Fantastic)_

_"Sweat" - Snoop Dogg + David Guetta_

_"S&M" - Rihanna_

_"Enjoy the Silence" - Anberlin._


	7. Chapter 7

_Hello everyone,_

_Wow! Thank you for all your reviews, I really enjoyed reading them! And as a result, they inspired me to write away and cook up another chapter nice and early for you. And again, as a result, this one includes PLENTY of Delena interaction. Enjoy!_

* * *

><p><strong><span>Elena's POV<span>**

Elena made her way up the stairs towards the entrance of the club, stumbling and leaning against the wall on her way in a fit of giggles. She could feel Mike right behind her.

"Almost there," she heard him say. His hands latched onto her hips and with a squeeze, he began to push her up the stairs, forcing her to go faster.

"Not so fast" she laughed, scrabbling her fingers on the paint-chipped walls at either side of the narrow stair case.

Finally the cool, midnight air blew onto her flushed face and chest, cooling her down after her heated antics in the club below. Before she could get any sense of clear direction, Mike's arm was around her, leading them down the sidewalk in a drunken stroll, his arm heavy on her petite shoulders. The more they walked, the more it hurt.

"Feeling better now you've got some air?" he questioned, his face dangerously close to her own as she turned to face him. She smiled in a friendly manner, which caused his arm around her to draw her closer.

"Much better," she said, trying to stop, but Mike continued to lead them away "I'll be ready to go back inside in a minute," she assured him.

She noticed his brown eyes were glazed over with a look of desire, causing her stomach to jump with warning. She noticed, now in the brighter lit streets, that he wasn't as good looking as she thought he was. In fact he looked a little scary. It was harder to keep a smile on her face as she looked over her shoulder, realizing they were pretty much alone, away from the main crowds of people outside the club.

"How about we go to another bar? Or my place for a night cap?" he drawled, his voice low and suggestive which she didn't like one bit, even when everything else around her was a blur. Knowing she needed to regain some control, she playfully giggled and managed to escape out of his arms.

"I can't, I have to stay with my friends"

As she attempted to turn to head back, his hand that still held hers yanked her towards him, causing the tip of her toes to graze along the grovel of the sidewalk, making her wince in pain as she pushed her hands against his bulky chest.

"Mike, please, lets go back inside" she said, a hint of panic rising when she saw that was clearly not what he had in mind any longer.

"Oh c'mon, Elena, where's your sense of fun?" he said, a look of amusement etching on his face which made her feel sick, the large amount of alcohol in her system making her stomach twist violently.

"Mike, please" she begged, "lets just go back in-"

He grasped her forearms so roughly she yelped with the unexpected pain, and before she knew what was going on he was hastily pushing her backwards into the shadows.

"No, stop!"

His hand slapped over her mouth, causing her head to slam against the brick wall so hard Elena felt as though her brain rattled within her aching skull. His lust-hungry eyes glared at her as he warned her to be quiet, dragging her further into a tight, pitch-black side street which was almost completely out of view. Elena felt the hot tears trail down her cheeks as she struggled to breath through her nose. His clammy, salty-tasting hand was still clamped firm over her mouth while his other worked on hitching up her dress, his nails scratching against her delicate skin. She eventually felt the fabric glide over her hips, followed by a rush of cold air blasting over her now bare thighs and stomach. She screamed as loud as she possibly could through his hand, going into a blind panic as her eyes managed to see the movement of his hand unhooking his belt in the heavy darkness.

"Get the Hell away from her."

Elena snapped her head as far as she could to her left, seeing a blurred shadow through her tears at the entrance of the side-street.

"Walk away, man, this is nothing to do with you" Mike warned, releasing the pressure of his hand from Elena's bruising lips, thought never removing it completely as he told the stranger where to go. Elena silently hoped they would help, still sobbing uncontrollably through Mike's hand.

The dark silhouette took one step closer and Elena could tell Mike was seriously getting pissed off.

"Did you fucking hear me or what? I said this is nothing to do with you."

As Elena felt his hands greedily grab her shaking thighs to hoist them up around his waist, her saviour stormed forward and roughly pulled Michael away from her.

Elena collapsed to the damp ground with a painful thud. Through her onslaught of tears she looked up to find her saviour standing tall over Mike who he had thrown against the opposite wall, and was quickly regaining his composure. Terrified and struggling to string a single, coherent thought in her head, Elena shrunk back against the wall, unable to do much else.

The unknown figure stood in front of her, tall and strong, ready to protect her. Once Mike was back on his feet, she feared for the man who had come to her rescue.

"You asked for it" growled Mike as he lunged a fist forward.

Her saviour blocked the sharp move successfully. But only just. Elena watched as Mike swung forward with greater force, knocking his opponent into wall next to her, the pair almost colliding into her tiny body. Shuffling away in terror, she watched through her tumbles of dark hair as a fist connected to Mike's jaw. Once. Twice. The third time knocking him off balance.

Before the triumphant of the two could crack another fist against Mike's jaw, Mike scrambled to his feet, cradling his face as he made the split second decision to run for it. Shivering on the cold, squalid ground, Elena blinked through her tears as she watched the raven haired stranger who'd rescued her proceed to run after him.

She didn't know why, but when the dark figure turned back, unsuccessful in capturing Mike, she felt afraid. Unable to make out his face through her tears and the darkness, she feared he may have wanted her for the same reasons as Mike did. A quick fuck in the alley against her will. Overcome with panic, she began to tremble fiercely as she forced her shaking limbs to get her standing.

"N-no" she mumbled weakly, her back hitting against a long forgotten dumpster, the metal cold and hard against her spine. Sliding her palms against the greasy metal, she attempted to stand once again, only to find the man slowly crouching down to her level.

And all her panic seemed to vanish when she met _**those**_ eyes.

"Elena.."

Warmth flooded through her body at the way he said her name. Through the pearls of tears that continued to fall, she felt a smile twitch at her lips.

"It's you..." she said breathlessly.

"What?" he whispered, having not heard her meek voice.

Without thinking, Elena threw herself against him. Wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders and burying her face against the crook of his neck. She didn't think about whether he would respond or not, but when she felt his arms curl around her waist and pull her towards him, she had never felt more safe, protected and relieved in her entire life.

"Ssshh" rumbled his voice from his chest, "you're safe. You're okay."

Elena nestled her face against his neck, shakily breathing in his clean, masculine scent that radiated from his warm skin. Even though she was still quite intoxicated, every sense in her body felt heightened. The feel of her body moulded against his chest, her fingers grazing the material of his shirt at his back. The way his fingers gently curled through her mess of dark hair to sooth her raging nerves. She had all but forgotten that the man she was holding so close was her school teacher.

He drew back, and Elena momentarily pouted until she felt the pad of his thumb and fore-finger lift her head up by the chin so her face met his. She gasped, parting her lips at the sight of his magnificent face staring back down at hers.

"Lets get you out of here" he said, and she nodded silently in response, latching onto him once again as she felt him slowly pick her up to her aching feet.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Damon's POV<span>**

Damon couldn't begin to comprehend how relieved he felt to have found her. As he left the club he feared the worst, and that the son of a bitch who had tanked Elena up on alcohol had managed to take her back to his place to do God knows what. His eyes caught sight of a struggling couple in the distance and he wasted no time in advancing towards them, hoping to God it was Elena.

And now here she was, curling towards his body like a timid koala bear as he carefully walked them through the bustling night life on the outer-edge of Mystic Falls. He only wished he could take her home with him, where she'd be safe from harms way in his arms all night.

To Hell with how wrong it was. Damon just wanted to protect her.

Reluctantly, he began walking them back towards Factory.

"No don't!" she suddenly yelped, her tiny fingers grasping onto his black shirt so tightly he thought she'd rip it. "Please Mr Salvatore, don't make me go back in there."

Damon drew her back and held her at arms length, instinctively stroking a hand through her rich curls to tuck them behind her ears as she looked up at him with earnest. He knew if anyone saw them stood this way, that he would be in the deepest pile of shit.

But quite frankly, he didn't care.

"We're going to get Caroline and Bonnie, okay?" he began, his eyes never leaving hers as his hands gently cupped her heart-shaped face, "and then we're going to get you three home safely."

He watched her take in his words and she nodded in agreement. It wasn't like he was going to give her any other choice.

Damon began walking them back towards the club when he felt Elena's hand slide into his own, gripping his fingers with a vice like grip. He slowed down to look at her and she found it as an open invitation to lean into his body. He wouldn't mind, but again, if anyone saw he would be in serious trouble. Behind bars kind of trouble. But as he looked down into those traumatized eyes that stared at the passing world around them with fear he couldn't bring himself to move away. Instead he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and used his spare hand to hold her own freezing digits in his palm.

Within the space of ten minutes the police had arrived and had taken a detailed statement of the attack, Bonnie and Caroline had been retrieved and Damon was ordering the girls a cab home.

"Talk about a bizarre turn of events," commented Alaric, in between hiccups, while handing Damon his long forgotten leather jacket from the cloakroom.

Damon hung up his call and took his jacket without ever taking his eyes off Elena. She stood a few feet away, explaining the whole story tearfully to her friends who held her close.

"I'm gonna let them know about their cab, give them some money for the ride" Damon said, feeling totally wiped out while Alaric simply nodded with a bemused look.

As Damon soundlessly approached the highly emotional teenagers, Elena's gaze caught his and he felt his stomach jump at the look she gave him. One that said '_thank you.'_ He smiled warmly at her as she drew away from Bonnie's arms to face him properly.

"Your cab's ordered girls, should be here in a minute or two."

"Sir, you're a total hero, seriously, I mean... she could've been dead!" blurted Caroline in a high pitched voice.

"Thank you Caroline, I appreciate the hero compliment" said Damon, not quite knowing what to say when he was completely distracted with the way Elena smiled at him. "And I think you girls need to learn something from this, don't you think?"

"Oh my, we're never going to let each other out of our sight in a club again, are we?" said Bonnie.

"And you're going to wait a few years until you're legal to drink" Damon said sternly.

Apart from Elena, Bonnie and Caroline looked at him as though he'd just asked them to give up chocolate and hair products for a lifetime. He smirked and rolled his eyes.

"Okay maybe that's a little harsh, but still, be more attentive to each other."

"We will" Bonnie assured him.

Several beeps from a cab caught their attention.

"That'll be yours, ladies" said Damon, feeling sorry that he would finally have to see Elena go. "Take this twenty," he said, handing his money over to Bonnie who smiled her thanks.

"Thanks, Mr Salvatore!" Caroline shouted as she and Bonnie made their way over to the parked car.

Elena for some reason, hung on until they were both alone. She looked like she was about to say something, but was struggling to find the right words. Damon frowned when she saw her begin to shiver a little more, her bare and bruised arms shriveling with goose pimples. Without hesitation, Damon shook open his jacket.

"Take this, you're freezing."

He strolled behind her and carefully placed his most expensive piece over clothing over her delicate shoulders, his fingers stroking out her hair from underneath and fanning it over the cool leather. Her tiny fingers clutched onto the thick material, drawing it over her skin.

"Won't you be cold?" she quivered.

"Nah not me, I'm a tough guy" he joked, pulling a face and flexing his arms which made her do something between a giggle and a snort. It was adorable. "Just take care of it, it's my baby."

"I will" she said with a flutter of her eyelashes in the cold, blustery wind.

For a few moments he stood there feeling useless. He wanted to close the gap and hug her, hold her close, kiss her forehead, her cheeks, the tip of her nose, her parted lips... a sharp pain snatched at his heart as he realized in that moment how much he had fallen for her.

For his student.

Damon swallowed the thick lump that had formed in his throat, now feeling sick and disturbed by his emotions that had him on Cloud Nine only moments before. He couldn't carry on like this. If this was the way he felt after a matter of days with having her in his life, what would it be like a few months down the line? It was time to put the barriers up, and keep them there.

"Goodnight, Elena..."

"G'night, Mr Salvatore" she said in a whisper.

She looked up into his eyes one last time, gripped her hold on his jacket around her body and quickly made her way into the cab where Bonnie and Caroline waited for her.

Damon Salvatore watched the cab leave until it was no longer in sight.

"So..." drawled the voice of Alaric Saltzman from behind him, "apart from the last hour, that was a pretty good night don't you think?"

Damon looked over his shoulder with the most exhausted look,

"I thought you said students don't go out around here, Ric."

And with that, Damon shook off the pained feeling in his heart, and in his fists, and proceed to figure out his own way back home.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Elena's POV<span>**

Monday morning came by a lot quicker than Elena Gilbert would have liked.

Then again, she was glad it had, because she was desperate to speak with Mr Salvatore.

But then again, what if he was angry with her?

So many thoughts raced through her mind as she brushed her hair in front of her mirror. But regardless of what she thought, she needed to return his jacket and would have to speak to him anyway. She sighed, tossing her hair over her shoulders and grabbing her school bag which contained Mr Salvatore's jacket.

"You're a little early aren't you?" said Jenna as Elena jogged down the stairs.

"Yeah i've got a meeting with my history teacher" Elena lied, taking an apple from the fruit bowl on the kitchen table and making her way to leave. She hadn't said a word about what had happened on friday night. Nor was she going too. She only hoped Mr Salvatore, heck even Miss Flemming, hadn't said a word to her uncle.

"Oh okay, see you later hun"

Elena smiled over her shoulder and left, power walking down the street to get to school on record time.

She decided it was best to return Mr Salvatore's jacket without the prying, questioning eyes of Caroline, Bonnie or the rest of her class for that matter. She made her best friends swear not to tell a soul about the incident. They promised, knowing Elena had enough on her plate already without adding to it. Elena opted for the beginning of the day, before her class with Mr Salvatore started to return his jacket. If she waited to give it back once class was over, she knew she'd have chickened out by then. A nervous breath escaped her lips as she quickly crossed the deserted road, drawing ever closer towards Mystic Falls High.

Elena felt unbelievably embarrassed about friday. It was incredibly stupid and naive of her to leave the club with an older guy she'd just met. That she now knew. What must Mr Salvatore think of her? _Well.. exactly that,_ mused her brain; _stupid and naive._ That and would she have gotten him into trouble? One thing she clearly remembered about that night was the way she latched herself onto him like a magnet. He was her **TEACHER**. How could she be so selfish to put him in such a position? She realized she was going to be full of apologies as she walked across the empty school grounds. She made her legs carry her through the echoing corridors towards classroom E6, feeling her legs turn to liquid with each step she took towards the door.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Damon's POV<span>**

Damon sat back in his seat at his desk, hands clamped together in his lap, brows deeply furrowed while his mind went over the events that occurred on friday for the umpteenth time. Should he have done this, should he have said that? They were on repeat and plaguing his thoughts constantly. But it was a resounding fact that however he dealt with things, from holding her hand to holding her delicate frame against his, he would not have changed a thing.

And that scared him.

His eyes ghosted over to her chair towards the back of the classroom, imagining her sitting there in about an hours time. He hoped she wouldn't be nervous around him, or feel the need to shy away because of the whole ordeal. It crossed his mind that she probably wouldn't attend school at all. He can only imagine that she must have been incredibly shaken by her attacker, and then to be rescued by her english teacher of all people? Pretty overwhelming to say the least.

Aside from that he had to brace himself for further scrutiny from John Gilbert. Damon mentally kicked himself for playing back to John's snide little comments. He was his fucking superior for Christ's sake, why couldn't he just let it go? Just take things with a pinch of salt and carry on as normal? But nah, he just had to rise to it. Even after only being in the job for a single week and he felt he'd put his neck on the line.

And then there was Isobel. Jesus, the hazy memories of her trying to make a grab for his junk in the cab made Damon shudder. Hopefully she'd remember what a spectacle she'd made of herself and leave it be. Hopefully...

Unable to cope with these thoughts any longer, and with the tell tale pangs of a headache coming on, Damon sat up to make a move on preparing for his first class. He had to do something, anything, to take his mind of things.

No sooner had he picked up his pen, there was a light knock at the door.

"Come on in" he said tiredly, clearing his throat a little afterwards as he saw the door open from the corner of his eye.

When his guest didn't say anything, Damon looked over and was more than surprised to see Elena stood there.

"Miss Gilbert" he announced with the raise of his eyebrows. "What a surprise to see you here."

"Oh.. is it too early, sir? I'm sor-I'll go"

"No, no, not at all" he said, just as she was about to bolt it out of the door and down the hallway. "Please come on in"

He motioned out of his chair and leaned against his desk, smiling warmly as she slowly made her way towards him, playing with the strap of her bag nervously, finding it very difficult to make eye-contact with him. Damon sensed this immediately and decided to take the lead.

"So what brings me the pleasure of your company, Miss Gilbert?"

* * *

><p><strong><span>Elena's POV<span>**

Elena finally felt brave enough to look him in the eye, and there she found nothing of what she was expecting: no anger, no disappointment - in fact she was stood in front of the same, insanely beautiful man who had saved her two nights before. The invisible rope that constricted her body, finally released it's tether and she breathed.

"I just came in early to give you your jacket back," she said, juggling her eyesight between his engaging stare and her bag while she tried to open it.

When she finally slipped her fingers around the worn leather and handed it back over she silently wished she hadn't. He looked like he'd completely forgotten about it, and she had secretly enjoyed wearing it in her bedroom, inhaling his scent from the material that made her senses reel with comfort and warmth. She felt herself blush at the thoughts while she watched him take it from her possession.

"Wow, i'd actually forgotten about giving this to you" he smirked, "thanks for returning it so quickly."

"It's okay" Elena said, "and I... I also want to apologize..."

"What on earth for, Miss Gilbert?"

She didn't know why, but Elena suddenly found herself fighting back tears.

"For causing you so much trouble, for behaving the way I did. It was... it was completely out of order and... and I'm just sorry" she stuttered, feeling a heavy lump form in her throat.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Elena..."

Her heart almost flew out of her mouth when he drawled out her name in his deep voice. It got to her every, single time.

"That guy was a... excuse my French, but a complete dick who was taking advantage of an underage girl. The only thing that I'm upset about is the fact I didn't stop him as soon as I should have done."

Elena looked to him with confusion. He saw her and Mike together earlier in the night? Had he been watching?

"You saw us in the club?" she found herself saying, seeing the colour pale in his face for the slightest moment.

"I had seen you, yes" he admitted, his eyes never leaving hers. "I just hope that next time you go out with friends that you keep a closer eye on one another."

"We will, sir. I've just... I don't want to make excuses for myself, but I've been through a really tough time of it lately and I suppose I just... lost control a little. I'm not like that, I swear."

"I know," he said softly. Elena wasn't sure what his words were meant for. Did he know about her parents? Or did he know that she didn't usually behave so recklessly in a nightclub? She was about to speak, but he carried on, "I know you're a smart girl, and I suppose we all behave a little out of character when life throws a curve ball."

The tears were welling up again and Elena felt her breath shaking at the back of her throat. The look he gave her, so lament and understanding, his eyes bold and trusting, letting her know that he knew about her recent past. As hot tears spilled from her eyes and onto her cheeks she quickly tried to capture them, laughing nervously.

"I really need to stop crying in front of you," she joked.

"Don't be ridiculous" he smirked, which instantly made her feel better.

"I suppose my uncle told you, right?" she asked, but already knowing his answer. He nodded in reply.

"He said I should inform him if ever you're struggling in class."

Elena felt a shudder crawl up her spine and she looked away, hoping to hide her dislike for her uncle who pretty much left herself and Jeremy to cope without his emotional support when their parents died. But it was probably already clear to Mr Salvatore, after their confrontation in the faculty lounge last week, that her Uncle wasn't exactly on the top of her list of favourite people.

"But somehow I don't think you'd be happy if it came to that, or if I mentioned your whereabouts on Friday" she heard Mr Salvatore say.

"Honestly" she said, meeting his gaze dead on, "I would hate it."

He smirked again, so devilishly that it made her stomach twist with delight. She flashed him a coy smile herself, and glanced back to the floor.

"In that case if there's ever a problem, I'm here should you want to talk, Elena."

"Thanks Mr Salvatore, but I wouldn't want to put my problems on you."

"That I completely understand. But I also understand what you're going through."

Elena stopped to stare at him. She always hated it when people said that to her; that they knew, they understood her pain when they'd barely so much as have a goldfish pet pass away in their family. Yet the look her incredibly handsome english teacher gave her was different than any other when someone spoke those words.

"I know" he said, then to her complete surprise he reached out and took her right hand into his "...I get it."

After a few moments of silence, Elena curled her fingertips gently around his own and felt her heart bloom with adoration and affection for him. The way he was staring at her right now, so deep, enticing, it was both exciting and terrifying.

The feeling was fantastic - and she badly wanted to kiss him.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Damon's POV<span>**

Damon felt he'd probably just taken another step too far with Elena Gilbert. What was that he told himself on Friday? About putting those barriers up? He was doing a really shitty job of that one.

He squeezed her hand and gently let it go, though he wanted nothing more than to just drop those barriers once again, scoop her into his arms and kiss her pain and worries away.

And unless his eyes were cheating him, it looked like she wanted him to do exactly that.

"Uh am I interrupting?"

Damon flashed his head up to the door to find Alaric standing at the doorway, looking a little confused as to why Elena Gilbert was in school so early. Damon was quick to stand and clear his throat. He silently championed himself for letting go of Elena's hand when he did. Close one.

"Not at all Mr Saltzman, Elena arrived early to return my jacket from the other evening." Damon said, without thinking whether it was a good idea to bring the subject up. He just wasn't on it this morning at all.

Alaric stopped to think and he quickly remembered what had happened.

"Oh of course, are you alright Miss Gilbert?"

"I'm fine, thank you" she smiled, looking a little embarrassed. Damon silently thought to himself how adorable she looked when she was shy. But not wanting to see her more uncomfortable, Damon decided to put her out of her misery.

"How about you get to your tutor early Miss Gilbert and I'll see you in a short while?"

He made sure to flash her an apologetic look for having to cut their meeting so abruptly, but she understood, smiling in response as she proceeded to gather her belongings.

"G'bye Mr Salvatore."

Damon inwardly winced at her addressing him by his surname. It sounded so cold and detached, and he wished he could hear her say his name. He could almost hear the way she sounded, her voice soft yet husky as it passed her full lips... _Suck it up, Salvatore. Get it together._

"Bye Mr Saltzman."

"Bye Elena. Oh, and could you remind Jeremy that it'd be a good idea for him to actually attend class this week?"

"I will" she smiled.

Wow. Damon just loved the way her lips... _fuck!_

With that she left the room. She'd been in there all but fifteen minutes and Damon was emotionally exhausted. He didn't know how he'd cope having her in his presence for a full hour when class would begin shortly. It was pure torture, and he knew was putting up a pathetic fight at keeping his walls cemented high into place, when all he wanted to do was knock them down, crumble and give in...

* * *

><p><em>Sooo... what d'ya think? Please, please, pllllleeeeeease clickety-click on the review button and let me know! Your thoughts and feelings on this story are what spur me on to write more!<em>

_And just to clear up one, particular query in a recent review, i'd peg Damon to be around 26/27 in this story. No younger than that, but definitely in his late twenties. I find it so hard to pin an age on Damon. Anyone else feel the same way?_

_Anyway to wrap up, I hope to enjoyed this chapter and I look forward to reading plenty of reviews (hint-hint). Buh-byeeee xxx_


	8. Chapter 8

_Hey DE fans,_

_So sorry for the lateness of this update. I know, I suck. As an apology for neglecting to update, I bring you this chapter AND another one either tonight or tomorrow... which will promise lots of Delena!_

_Thank you for your amazing reviews, I love reading them! I will get around to replying to some of them which I have been meaning to respond back to, but i've just been super-crazy busy. Again, I know I suck!_

_I do not own TVD, but if I did, there would be no such thing as a break between seasons. I miss DE so much._

* * *

><p><strong>Damon's POV<strong>

He'd done it. Damon Salvatore had actually made the impossible, possible. He had successfully avoided conversing with Elena for _two whole weeks..._

Since the day she returned his jacket he made a dedicated effort to avoid all contact, say for the necessary things; such as answering the register, or a passing 'hello' in the hallway. Yep, the hard part was definitely over.

...Now all he had to do was stop thinking about her, looking at her for lengthly amounts of time, fantasizing about her while in the shower, imagining how his name would sound on her lips - yeah, that was about it. Just those few things he needed to iron out. Damon decided it was a step-by-step process of switching off his emotions. To do it all at once. Well. That _would _be the impossible.

But who was he kidding; there was no way in Hell he'd ever be able to stop thinking about her joining him in his shower every night. Stood in the busy faculty lounge with a bitter-tasting coffee in his hand, he imagined Elena's naked, olive-skinned body stepping under the spray of water, slowly advancing towards him, lathering her hands with a sweet-smelling soap and gliding her palms down the contorts of his chest... sliding her slick fingers down his stomach... down his abdomen... down to his...

"Damon you wouldn't happen to have any copies of 1984 would you?"

The sound of Isobel's voice shrilling into his ear caused Damon to jump out of his blissful daydream and spill half of his coffee down his crisp, white shirt.

"Ah shit!" he hissed, biting his bottom lip as he felt the liquid soak through the material and scald his skin. Isobel flittered her hands to his stomach, acting all concerned when Damon could clearly see she was enjoying feeling his abs through the material while she 'brushed' away the stains. He wouldn't mind if she wasn't such a bunny-boiler. It occurred to him that she would probably be the only woman he would ever be afraid of.

"I'm so sorry, Damon!"

"Don't worry about it," he bit through his teeth, secretly cursing her, remembering how much this shirt had actually cost him.

"No really, I'm very sorry, how about I pay for your dry-cleaning? I feel terrible."

"That won't be necessary. Really Isobel, it's okay."

"Oh... well," she began, stepping a little closer until she was almost under his nose with her hands resting on her curved hips, "How about I treat us to dinner one evening?"

"You don't have to-"

"No-no I insist!" she said, springing to life with her little innocent, do-gooder act. Damon knew he had been well and truly cornered in her web and she was quickly reeling him in. "How about dinner at The Grill on friday?"

_Quick, make up an excuse!_

"Ah gee Isobel," he said, scratching the back of his obsidian hair, "I would but I can't make it, I'm busy at that time."

"...I didn't mention any particular time, Damon."

_Ah fuck..._

"Oh sorry, I thought you... yeah" he sighed, seeing her smirk with content.

"How about eightish? Really, it's just to apologize for this" she said, gesturing to his stained shirt.

_Yeah, sure it is.. _thought Damon, forcing his face to twist into a happy one.

"Sounds good!" he quipped.

"Wonderful" she smiled, "and before I forget, do you have any copies of that book? I'm a little short for my class."

By the time Damon has successfully found a handful of copies of 1984 in his class storage closet, the bell for his first lesson of the week sounded to his attention.

"Will seven copies do for you?" he said, plopping them into Isobel's hands before she could say otherwise.

"Yeah that should be fine," she said, blinking up at him like some besotted teenager before making her way over to the door. "I look forward to Friday" she said as she left.

"Good stuff!" he called after her, quietly adding to himself, "at least one of us fucking does."

Glancing down at his shirt, he found it was pretty much ruined. And no doubt he'd get more than a few laughs from the kids. Always prepared, Damon remembered he'd kept a spare shirt in the bottom drawer of his desk. _Damn, I'm just brilliant _he thought. No sooner had he grabbed the handle of his door to close it and quickly change into his spare, Stefan and Matt had come skulking passed him, then followed by several others.

_Great... juuuust great. _Damon thought, shaking his head with amusement at how shit his day was already shaping out; forced into a date with Isobel Flemming who would probably devour him against his will at the dinner table and he was drenched with coffee before nine in the morning.

And then Elena Gilbert walks into the room wearing a short skirt that exposed her silky, toned thighs. Damon swallowed the lump in his throat, feeling himself get hard at the thought of her legs wrapped tight around his waist. Her back against the wall, her head thrown back with ecstasy...

Just as he managed to force his dirty thoughts away from his manhood he looked up to Elena and she smirked, actually smirked at him as she sat down in her seat, making his thoughts go directly back to his groin once again. This was _not _going well.

"Good morning, class" he announced. He actually detected a wavering in his voice as he threw on his blazer jacket to hide his once white, but now murky brown coloured shirt.

Everyone groaned back in their half-awake state. Damon desperately tried to keep his focus on anyone _but _Elena.

"Right I understand that it's Monday morning, that some of you are probably still hung over and dying to roll back into bed, but it's my job to further dampen your spirits by asking for you all to hand in your essays when I call your name from the register. Fail to hand in your essay, you're in detention this afternoon. Got it?"

Damon took note of the various nods and mumbles, in particular the not so quiet whisper of 'we had an essay?' from Matt Donovan's mouth. Damon bit back his amusement as he flicked open his class register. He quickly reeled through his list of students, so far only having Matt come up empty handed with an essay. What a surprise. When the ball of his pen aligned with the name Elena Gilbert, Damon considered the next thirty seconds to be a challenge of those shaky barriers he had in place.

"Elena Gilbert?"

Her head bobbed up from her seat, hair splaying over her shoulders as she stood up. Damon couldn't help it at all, and found his eyes roving down to her bare legs. He subconsciously began tapping his pen, an act he did when he was nervous or getting worked-up. Of which he was currently experiencing both. His hazy, blue eyes crept back to her face and she shyly looked away. She curled her fingers around her hair to tuck it behind her ear, an act Damon was quickly beginning to think was something she did when she was nervous. Were his actions as obvious as her own? Fuck, he hoped not.

Elena presented him with two folded sheets of paper, accompanied with a timid smile.

"Thank you, Elena" he said, unable to look at her any longer when he realized what a complete and utter fail his 'challenge' was. He was hopeless around her.

"You're welcome, Mr Salvatore"

Her eyes lingered on his for longer than necessary before she turned and walked back to her desk.

When Damon felt it was safe enough to stand without the kids noticing an obvious strain in his pants, he was able to get on with his class.

* * *

><p><strong>Elena's POV<strong>

Elena tried to concentrate on the task Mr Salvatore had set out for the class. He placed people into groups discussions of four and she and Bonnie had been lumbered with Stefan and Matt. It wasn't the fact that Stefan was gawking at her with a forlorn expression throughout the entire exercise that distracted her. It was in fact the man with the porcelain skin and eyes of striking blue that had consumed her train of thought. It wasn't just his beauty, or the memories of them holding one another close after he rescued her from her attacker, but it was the fact he seemed a little... off. Whether Elena was over-thinking things she didn't know. But since their little heart-to-heart before class a couple of weeks ago, it felt like every time they interacted he would retract himself from any prolonged conversation with her. Like he didn't want to be around her. _Is the fact I really like him that obvious? _she thought, watching his tall, lean body weave through the tables, silently wishing he would come over to them.

"Elena, back in the room please?" snapped Bonnie, clearly tired of carrying the group discussion. For the first time Elena looked around their team; Matt was sat with his mouth hung open in confusion, Stefan was doodling on his paper with a sad frown and Bonnie looked incredibly annoyed.

"Sorry I was just..." she blinked across to Mr Salvatore who was busy talking to another group and then turned back to Bonnie, "... I was distracted. What were you saying?"

"We were discussing the role of women in the play and their negative interpretations."

"Oh yeah. I mean, I think we're all in agreement about Gertrude, right?"

Elena received a shrug from Matt and absolutely nothing from Stefan. Now she knows how Bonnie was feeling.

"God you're both useless!" hissed Bonnie, tossing her pen at Stefan who shook out of his trance.

"What?"

"You two. You're both sat there like zombies making us do all the work. You couldn't find your ass with both hands even if you tried!"

Elena sniggered, giving Stefan a 'she's right you know' look which made him perk up in his seat. As he did, Elena took the opportunity to look over to Mr Salvatore. The blood in her veins rushed through her body, sending flurries of butterflies to her stomach to find he was staring back. Their connection was electric.

Without realizing, Elena didn't see that Stefan was watching her.

"What're you doing?" be blurted.

Elena snapped her head back to face him, panic surging through her.

"What do you mean?"

"You were staring."

"I was trying to get Caroline's attention, is that a crime?"

"No you were staring at _him_."

Elena heard Bonnie gasp into her ear.

"Who?" she gawked, her eyes landing on their English teacher. "Oh c'mon, everyone's hot for Salvatore" oozed Bonnie, giving Elena a knowing nudge of the arm. Elena felt the blush blaze from her cheeks down to her neck.

"He's a bit, I dunno... girly?" grumbled Matt, looking over to Mr Salvatore with a squint.

"Can we drop the Mr Salvatore discussion, please?" piped Stefan.

"Okay, so you think Salvatore's the girly one, when Stefan is the one here with an Edward Cullen 'do?"

Everyone burst into laughter at Bonnie's comment. Elena found herself flopping against the table, knocking half of her books onto the floor and laughing out aloud, an act so simple yet it was the first time she'd laughed so hard in a long time.

"I didn't realize that Hamlet was a comedy..." came that deep, sexual drawl that Elena knew all too well. She slowed down her giggling to sit up straight as Mr Salvatore wandered over towards their desk.

Elena couldn't help but smile up at him, feeling her body zing to life when his eyes twinkled down at her mischievously.

"Sorry Mr Salvatore, we were just laughing at Stefan's expense here" she joked, hoping she would keep her teacher's attention for longer than fifteen seconds. So far so good.

"Tut-tut, Elena" drawled Mr Salvatore, flashing her the cockiest grin that made her stomach flip, "am I going to have to give you detention for bullying?"

Now if that didn't contain sexual undertones, then Elena didn't know what did. Feeling bold, she discretely bit her plump, bottom lip.

"That won't be necessary, Mr Salvatore. I'll be good."

She felt her heart pound hard against her chest at how brazen her actions were. If Bonnie and Matt weren't overcome with a bad case of the giggles and Stefan had actually looked up from the desk, they would have seen some serious flirting going on between teacher and student. As if her teacher could read her mind, the grin that graced his perfectly chiseled face disappeared, replaced with a disinterested look that hurt her more than she liked to admit.

"Well joking aside guys, I'd like some productivity going on here."

"You got it, Mr Salvatore" said Bonnie with a pleasant nod.

And with that, and without looking at her, Elena watched him walk away to another group.

Something was off. It had to be.

************************  
>At lunch, Elena's mood hadn't picked up. Her mind was exhausted from being on a constant replay of Mr Salvatore. The first couple of weeks were great; they spoke, they bonded, Jesus he even saved her from a rape attack and now their... thing... or whatever you want to call it was pretty much dead in the water.<p>

Elena picked at the salad in front of her, feeling a little pathetic with herself at how she described her bond with Mr Salvatore like he was a boy she was dating and he was playing hot and cold with her. She knew it was ridiculous and just a silly little crush that would eventually burn out. But despite only having those few, precious moments where they were close she could not let them go. For he was there in her darkest moments and brought a ray of sunshine back into her life.

"So I was thinking," announced Caroline, her voice muffled by her hand while she ate her sandwich with her mouth open, "how 'bout we slumber it at mine on friday?"

"Sure, I'm in. Elena?"

"Yeah sounds good. Shall I bring my manicure kit?"

"Duh! Of course! We're having a girly night in, considering the night out turned out to be a total disaster."

Elena and Bonnie shared their usual look when Caroline said something which should have included slight ounces of sensitivity but never did. It was just her way, but they were used to it.

"Better get homework outta the way then," said Bonnie, which for some reason made a light-bulb ping to life in Elena's head and she began to rummage around in her bag.

"Lost something?"

Flicking her science, history and math books aside in her bag, Elena found she had lost her copy of Hamlet for English.

"Yeah my Hamlet copy. You didn't get it by mistake did you Bonnie?"

Bonnie checked her bag and came out empty-handed.

"I better go back and have a look," Elena said, sliding off the bench and slinging her bag over her bare shoulders.

"Did you leave it so you had an excuse to go back and ogle Mr Salvatore for yourself? I should try that sometime," said Caroline with a wiggle of her eyebrows. Elena gasped, trying to hide her amusement.

"You're so childish," Elena retorted, "save me a seat in Math next won't you?"

"Sure. Say hello to Sexy-ass Salvatore for me won't you?"

Elena laughed and jokingly gave Caroline the middle finger. As she wandered through the school grounds, she silently thanked herself for forgetting it. For the first time in a fortnight she would be alone with him again. Even if it was for a moment it would be worth it. She almost had a spring in her step, but soon found herself slowing down as she approached the English department, finally feeling the nerves kick in.

As she threw open the heavy door, she saw her Uncle John in the distance walk down the hallway. Her heart had skipped a beat and she prayed he wouldn't see her. It had been two weeks since the attack and not a word had been said. If he knew she were out she knew she'd face all kinds of lectures of how irresponsible she was, child-like and should probably hand her inheritance over to him for 'her benefit.' Elena released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding deep in her chest and carried on walking down the lonely hallway.

Classroom E6 came into view and Elena could barely breathe probably. What if he ignored her? What if he treated her like any other random student? If that happened it would crush her. Smoothing her left hand through her tumbles of dark hair while the other nervously played with the strap of her bag, Elena tip-toed towards the door and balled her left hand into a fist, ready to knock.

But the sight she saw through the pane of glass almost caused her legs to give way.

At the far left where his desk was situated, Elena's eyes were met with Mr Salvatore back facing her... bare back to be exact.

He was changing his shirt! Right there at his desk! At least that's what Elena thought he was doing. Whatever it was it didn't matter, she was far too pre-occupied with the way the hard muscle of his toned back moved under his perfect, pale skin. Elena blushed, her breath condensing against the thick glass as she watched his body slowly turn until he was almost facing her.

Frightened of being spotted she drew back, her heart leaping into her throat and a hot flush blooming over her body. Inching back towards the glass, his head was turned to the side, showing his amazing, angular profile while he buttoned up a dark, indigo shirt that sadly covered his taut stomach.

"Just perfect..." Elena whispered, feeling her body go numb.

So numb her fingers lost all reflex and she dropped her bag with an almighty thud, bang and clatter as her belongings scattered across the long stretch of hallway.

"Shit!" she screeched. Her eyes darted through the glass. _Fuck - he's seen me!_

Not wanting to be there a second longer, Elena stumbled to her knees to violently shove everything she could find into her bag. She heard his door open behind her. _Fuck, fucking-fuck!_

"Elena?"

Grabbing her notepad and stuffing it into the side pocket of her bag, Elena made a quick glance over her shoulder as she sprang to her feet. He looked completely stunned, yet lost as to why she was there. Mortified, humiliated and wanting the ground to swallow her body whole Elena did the worst thing possible.

She ran.

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><p><em>Soooo... what do we think?<em>

Will Elena stop and turn back? Will Damon go after her? Will their next encounter alone find themselves falling further into trouble.. and dare we say it.. in love? Well I can promise you, you won't be waiting long to find out!

Clickety-click on the review button and I'll be back with chapter nine VERY soon!

Anna x


	9. Chapter 9

_Told you I would be back!_

_Once again, thank you for your lovely reviews. It's great to know people are enjoying this fic as much as I am writing it. And as promised for my lack of updating in 3 weeks (again - so sorry!) here is Chapter 9 nice and early for you. Got a feeling you'll like this one ;-)_

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><p><strong><span>Elena's POV<span>**

Elena didn't stop and turn back - and she cursed herself for the next four days for not doing so.

Because running away had only made things worse.

It was Friday afternoon, biology class and Elena hadn't written a single word down in her book, nor had she taken in anything her teacher was saying. All she could think about was how much she had screwed up with Mr Salvatore. He saw her staring at his half naked body while he changed his shirt. The very thought _still_ made her feel sick with embarrassment. She dropped her bag and only managed to rescue her notepad, a few pens and her hairbrush. She never managed to pick up her phone or purse and she was _still_ without her copy of Hamlet that she needed for the entire year.

But worst of all was the fact she stopped, looked at him and decided to run away. To run away from the man who saved her. What must he think of her now?

_That you're a silly, little girl_ scalded her brain.

She fought back the stinging in her eyes as she doodled in the corner of her book. Wishing she could switch off the part of her brain that made her think of nothing but Mr Salvatore, and think of more pressing matters. Like her education for a start. But again, that couldn't progress in some areas, such as English if she was down her copy of Hamlet and dreaded the very thought of ever going to an English class ever again. Everything was just... so... screwed!

At least Caroline's slumber party would be something to take her mind off things. Elena was pretty excited about it. They hadn't done it in ages.

_But you still need that book for your essay. For the whole year - to graduate, Elena..._

The bell rang and everyone jumped out of their chairs with that 'friday feeling.' Elena felt the exact opposite as she lazily got out of her seat. Nothing good was going to come out of today at all. Except maybe Caroline talking about something else other than how much of an idiot Matt was. As if on cue, Elena received a text from her.

"OMG. MATT IS A TOTAL LOSER. WILL TELL U L8ER XOXO"

No change there then.

Flipping her phone shut, Elena took the brave first steps towards the English department. At that moment she realized how pathetic it was to feel so nervous, scared and yet excited every time she seemed to go into that building these days. She couldn't wait for this crush to be over and done with. They were all the same. You feel anything and everything for them for a while, but then you wonder what all the fuss was about. This would be no different, she told herself. She had to face the music. It was now or never. So she'd blush when she'd come face to face with him in two minutes time, ask for her book and probably still feel embarrassed once she'd left. It would be over and done with, and she wouldn't flunk her favourite subject just because of a stupid encounter with her teacher.

There was no Uncle John floating around which was good news once again. One less problem to tick off her list. But still Elena hurried by his door, meaning she could not slow down and compose herself properly before entering Mr Salvatore's classroom.

As soon as she saw his door her stomach dropped to the floor beneath her converse clad feet.

_No_ she told herself, taking in a deep breath and stroking down her hair, _you have to do this._

Without allowing herself to think a moment longer to talk herself out of it, Elena stormed the last five steps and knocked three, hard times on the doors surface. In those agonizing few seconds where she could hear movement from the other side, she occupied her mind with noticing how much her knuckles hurt after knocking so loudly. They were almost stinging.

The moment she chose to glance through the window she met his eyes on the other side. God, she was coming undone already as he opened the door.

"Hello, Elena..."

He smiled warmly, as if it was to reassure her. Or that's what Elena felt from him anyway.

"Hi, Mr Salvatore..." she almost choked on her own voice. Feeling her body ignite with nerves...

And lust.

"I, um.."

"Came to collect the belongings you left behind?"

Elena felt incredibly flustered under his gaze. All she could do was nod in response.

She watched him cock his head to the left, indicating he had them "come on in, Miss Gilbert."

She complied and slowly entered, hearing the door close behind her as she played with the straps of her bag. As he walked by her she inhaled his clean, masculine scent, desperately trying to ignore the effect his aroma had on her. He turned around to face her with an unreadable look, but his eyes never lost their icy glow.

"Your copy of Hamlet is on that shelf. Third row from the top. I kept your personal things in my closet, just gimme a moment."

Elena nodded, even though he'd already turned and walked away into the storage room. Quickly popping her bag onto the nearest table, Elena hurried herself over to the tower of shelves to find her book. She needed to find it and leave. It was all becoming way too much. He hated her. She just knew it by the way he was around her.

_Why did I have to run, why!_

Biting back her emotions she bit down on her lip and arched onto her tip-toes. She couldn't reach. Her fingertips were shaking from their stretched position as they brushed the spine of the book cover. As she strained her limbs further, her fingertips coiled around the base of the book, just as she felt the heat from another body move behind her.

"Here let me," she heard him say, his voice low and deep from behind her shoulder. Elena felt her whole body tense and she knew he detected it. She could _feel_ the air around them change.

Elena didn't move her hand as she watched his own come beside it and grab the book with perfect ease. Her breaths were light and shaky, her spine tingling with heat as his actions caused his chest to brush against her back and his hips to press against the curve of her behind. From under her eyelashes she inched her head to look above her right shoulder. Directly into his eyes.

He was staring down at her. Intense and wanting. She didn't tear her eyes away from his for a single second as she felt his hand meet with hers above them. His warm fingertips gently entwining with hers.

She squeezed them hard in response.

"I'm sorry I ran away from you."

* * *

><p><strong> <span>Damon's POV<span>**

That was all it took. Her soft, breathless voice to whisper down those barriers he had struggled to keep in place to block her out.

He watched as her eyes landed to his lips, feeling her body subconsciously start to lean back against his. While his mind was screaming for him to stop, reel it all back and take control of the situation, it was also making his left hand circle around her hips to softly glide across her stomach, causing it to quiver under his light touch as he gently pulled her backwards so her body was finally flush against his.

Damon was still watching her, hypnotized by the way she continued to stare at his parted lips as she rested back against his body. He could tell she was imagining how they would feel against her own and he was so, very close to making it become a reality. As her breath ghosted across his lips, he untwined their laced fingers from above to gently caress the side of her face. His fingertips lovingly grazed the underside of her jaw, an act that caused her eyelids to flutter in appreciation. They moved to her chin until the pad of his thumb finally rested against her dusky bottom lip to arch her head back that little bit farther, an act that reminded him of the moment he rescued her, to finally give in to the temptation that had consumed every part of his being since the moment he first laid eyes on her.

**KNOCK!**  
><strong>KNOCK!<strong>  
><strong>KNOCK!<strong>

Like a bolt of lightening had erupted between their bodies, Damon tore himself away from Elena to look worryingly over to his closed door. They were _just_ out of sight from the window. Or at least he hoped they were.

"Hey Damon you in there?" came Ric's voice.

He hadn't seen them. Damon silently thanked the Gods above and he turned back to Elena who looked completely mortified against the bookshelf.

"Just a second, Ric!" Damon shouted, never taking his eyes off her.

"What should I-"

"Shush" he whispered, pressing his finger against his lips before taking her hands in his and moving her to the side so she wouldn't be seen. "I'll take care of it."

He waited until she nodded her response. Like it was an act he'd done a million times before, he curled his fingertips around a lock of her hazel, coloured hair and carefully tucked it behind her ear. Even now, on the brink of discovery, he marveled at how perfect she was.

Knowing he told Ric he'd be just a second over a minute ago, Damon quickly composed himself and opened his classroom door.

"Dude, what were you doing in here?" questioned Ric as Damon leaned against the door frame.

"Pounding my head against the wall after the shittiest day ever" quipped Damon, making sure he didn't loose face. It was quite easy. Even though his heart was pounding painfully hard in his chest.

Alaric laughed and followed suit with leaning against the wall. Damon sincerely hoped he wasn't planning on prolonging the conversation.

"I was just wondering if you wanna go out for a beer or something tonight?"

"Uh yeah, sure" Damon lied, but he felt he needed to. "What time you thinking?"

"About nine? I'll call with more details, but I thought i'd ask now before you decide to ditch me and make other plans."

"Yeah sounds great. Anyway I have to get going, Ric. But yeah, give us a call."

"No problemo. See you later."

Damon flashed a quick smile and closed the door as soon as Ric turned away. He felt bad for cutting things short now Alaric was one of his closest friends, but it wasn't like he had any other choice. Feeling completely thrown and bewildered of the events that had happened in the last half an hour, Damon tried to gather his thoughts together as he made his way back to Elena who had attached herself to the corner of the room. She looked scared to death.

"Are you okay?" Damon asked, not knowing whether it was a good idea to go over and comfort her or keep his distance. His mind was completely fucked; right and wrong, lust and love all rolled into one massive, knotted ball and all he felt he could do was just stand there, looking completely useless in front of her.

"Yeah, I'm fine" she whispered, but looking completely lost.

Damon clenched his jaw and regrettably made his decision on what do to with the matter at hand.

He chose to do the right thing.

"Your phone and purse are here," he stated, making the half-assed effort of pointing to them on his desk, when all the while he wanted to do nothing more than have her sprawled on top of it, looking up at him under her heavy-lidded eyes.

He felt like a complete dick for behaving the way he was. He was well and truly aware of it, but what was he meant to do? Pursue a crazy love affair with a sixteen year old student and shrug off the fact it could almost certainly land him a number of years behind bars? It was insane.

Elena wordlessly took her phone and purse, hiding behind her curtain of brunette hair as she placed them into her bag. The silence was killing him. This whole 'thing' was destroying him and it was getting on his last nerve.

He wandered back over to the shelf where her copy of Hamlet was still waiting for her and he roughly yanked it from it place, causing the books at either side to go tumbling to the floor.

"Don't forget your book again," he said, harsher than intended. But then he thought it was better to behave like the arsehole teacher to make sure they knew where they stood. That way their heated encounter minutes earlier would never happen again.

When she looked up and her hair brushed away from her face, it hit Damon like a truck to see what his hot and cold behaviour was doing to her. He'd gone from loving and sensual to complete prick in a matter of minutes and it was wrong. Completely wrong, but what else could he do? Then the hurt look in her eyes changed into one of a steely glare.

"Thanks, sir" she snapped, snatching the book from his fingers.

Elena had never acted so cold towards him. It took him by complete surprise. And he did not like it. Not one bit.

_So this is what the hot and cold treatment feels like,_ Damon realized, watching her roughly zip up her bag and making her way to leave the classroom.

It was then Damon knew that if Elena Gilbert left and closed that door behind her, she would be closing him off forever.

_Oh no you don't,_ Damon thought, storming towards the door as she opened it, only to slam it shut once again with the palm of hand. He didn't need to say, or do anything in the single second that their eyes locked.

Damon knew that_ this_ was the right thing to do - as they simultaneously dragged one another into a hot, searing kiss against his classroom door.

* * *

><p><strong>Elena's POV<strong>

Elena couldn't believe this was real. She convinced herself it was a dream. An incredibly vivid, erotic one as she felt the fire burst in her belly at the way Mr Salvatore kiss her.

She was against the wall. Back slammed against the display board, ravaging each others mouths as she hungrily snaked her legs around his hips. He responded with a teasing thrust, his hardening erection brushing against the source of her burning heat was indescribable for her. Especially since she had yet to experience such a passionate encounter in her young life. Every touch, every breath, every moan was sending her higher into a state where she needed him, all of him and she hadn't even had the chance to explore the flesh that remained hidden under his tight, black shirt.

Her train of thought snapped into oblivion when his tongue glided deliciously between her full lips the moment he chose to thrust hard against her once again.

"Ohmygah.." she found herself mumbling between kisses, completely unable to think or do anything as his mouth peppered from her lips, to her cheeks, until eventually taking one, single nip at her right ear lobe.

"Do you need to be anywhere," he asked, urgency and need laced in his deep, breathless voice against her ear. The hairs on the back of her neck stood to attention, her mind conjuring images of his naked body taking hers. Hard and fast, despite the fact she had never really experienced sex like that. But she knew he would almost certainly take her that way. She smirked.

"No I don't" she whispered, feeling him pull back to look into her eyes. Her hands lazily massaged through his hair that was now wild and unruly after their unbridled administrations. His eyes were glazed with desire, which aroused her further, making her legs shudder with anticipation. She knew how dangerous this was, how 'wrong' it was but she didn't really care right now. She squeezed her legs tighter around him, hoping he wasn't changing his mind. It would destroy her if he did.

Her worries obliterated as he captured her lips once again, controlling their kiss with an unbearably slow pace that was just, pure teasing.

"Would you like to come back to mine, Elena?" he growled, clearly needing her as much as she needed him. "You know i'll understand if you choose not to."

She didn't need to think twice and responded with a soft kiss, feeling brave she nipped his bottom lip between her teeth, causing him to gasp with surprise and pleasure.

"I need you," she whispered.

And then he smirked. That mischievous, up-to-no-good smirk that she had fallen in love with.

"Mmm, then we better not waste another minute, had we?" he teased.

Elena slowly shook her head. She felt so naughty and she loved it as she burst into a seductive laughter that unbeknownst to her, had Damon Salvatore reeling.

He carefully placed her jellyfied legs to the ground. Elena hated the absence of his body pushed hard against hers as she watched him rummage through his desk for his car keys. When she heard the familiar jingle rattle in his hands, her body sprung into over drive as she swung open the door. Needing to get into his car, into his bed and into his pants as quickly as possible.

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><p><em>Soooo - was it worth the wait? <em>

_I'm sorry for leaving it there. I know, I'm a total bitch. Mwhahahaha!_

_So if you like this fiction and want me to keep writing more, please keep sending those reviews in. The more reviews, the quicker you'll be treated to an update._

_Anna x_


	10. Chapter 10

_Hello to all you wonderful Delena fans out there!_

_Wow... just wow is all I can say. Thank you SO, SO much for all your reviews. I almost fell out my seat to see I had received soooo many for my last chapter. I wasn't expecting it, so thank you! I could kiss you all silly! Mmmmwah!_

_And because of those reviews, I'm seriously spoiling you now. Three chapters in the space of a week you lucky devils! Just to warn you about chapter 10, this is the first time i've attempted to write anything smutty. I've deleted, typed and tweaked more times than I can care to remember so I hope it at least comes across well. I'm sure i'll improve with time ;-) Constructive criticism is more than welcome._

_So... on with the story..._

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><p><strong><span>DAMON'S POV<span>**

Damon could scarcely begin to comprehend what was actually happening.

Here he was with Elena; standing before him with her cheeks flushed and her lips swollen from his relentless kisses, ready and willing for him to take her back to his apartment to continue their heated unity. It was, to say the least, pretty surreal for him.

A nervous excitement twinkled in her dark eyes and he knew he was reciprocating it as he met her by the door. He was terrified of being caught, but at the same time he didn't give a flying fuck. So long as they made it to the parking lot without bumping into anyone, all would be well.

"We have to be quick," he told her as he inched open his door to look around. Her hands weaved around his arm, ready to follow suit. Even that simple touch caused his nerve endings to run wild.

_Concentrate, dammit. You're not out of the woods yet, Salvatore._

And concentrate he did. Damon focused left and right to find the hallways were completely deserted. It may have been well after school hours by now, but that didn't mean some of the teacher's weren't still lurking around on campus. Like Alaric as a fine example. He felt Elena's hand slide into his own and he responded with an encouraging squeeze, barely able to contain his excitement to get her back to his apartment. Fast.

He turned to look at her and she smiled the most wonderful smile he had ever seen. It seemed odd, especially given their current situation, but he could only think of one word to describe the way she looked right now - she looked happy.

"Lets go," he said, brushing his thumb along her hand before letting it go. It wasn't wise to go flitting down the hallway holding his students hand if they were eventually spotted by a roving teacher.

With eyes at the back of his head, Damon didn't let one corner or room go undetected. Hope, excitement and his hard on grew the longer they went unnoticed. Once out of the block and into the warm, late summer air Damon slowed his pace to walk beside her. Sharing a quick smirk before turning his attention back to their surroundings. It was like a ghost town, not even a detention-leaving school kid in sight. Result.

Damon jabbed his thumb on the 'Unlock' button for his car as they neared it in the empty parking lot. He felt so exposed with no cars, no buildings, nothing to hide them from a wandering eye. But once his hand was on the door handle, he felt a sense of relief wash over him. They'd made it.

"Hop in," he instructed with a half-grin, staring at her over the roof of his car as she looked up from underneath those full, fluttering eyelashes. God, she was driving him crazy from just a simple look. They'd be lucky to make it out of the car without crashing if he didn't focus on anything other than how much he craved see her naked body writhing beneath his own.

Once inside and the doors closed in unison with a heavy 'thud' it all suddenly seemed very real. While Damon fumbled one hand to shove the keys into the ignition, the other scrabbled for the seat-belt above him. As he wove the belt around his body, she had been doing the same. His sharp, cerulean eyes met those of a luring chestnut-brown. She was impossible to resist as once again, like they could read one another's minds, they met halfway in another passionate embrace.

Damon was no stranger to women. He'd had more than his fair share and no one had ever left complaining that was for sure. But as he rested back in the drivers seat watching Elena straddle him and flip her lustrous, long hair over her shoulders, Damon felt the overwhelming need to please her more than anyone he'd ever been with before.

Of which he realized, as he brushed the few rebellious strands of hair away from her face to _really _look into her eyes, was probably because he was falling harder for her than he had for any other girl in his life.

"What?" she whispered as he continued to study her face.

Damon toyed with the idea of telling her that. But he felt it was way too soon. He settled for his trademark smirk, stroking his left thumb back and forth across her smooth cheek bone.

"Nothing - You're just incredibly beautiful, Elena."

She clearly didn't expect him to say that. Her mouth opened and closed, trying to find the words yet her eyes did all the talking. They were settled on his lips again. A little habit of hers that Damon had already noticed, and one he did not want her to break out of. He held the reins once again and stroked his hands to the back of her head, weaving his fingers through those silky, straight locks and bringing her lips down to his. The connection sent a jolt of electricity to go rippling through his body each and every time.

As a guy, who was incredibly hot for the gorgeous creature who happened to start grinding her hips unassumingly against his terribly constricted hard on, he wanted nothing more than to embrace his dominant role by tearing away her clothes and watching as he made her scream with unabashed pleasure. But he knew, even when highly distracted by the way her fingers massaged the back of his neck while they kissed, that he just couldn't do that. It wasn't that simple. They were playing on incredibly dangerous ground and one foot wrong could land him in very serious trouble. As much as she appeared to want this, what if she suddenly changed her mind? She was incredibly young and assumably quite inexperienced. But above all it was _illegal _for him to engage in sexual acts with her. Damon suddenly felt the need to cling on to her for dear life, as if it would stop him from thinking of all the reasons of why he should not be doing this.

Then he felt her soft lips brush against the sensitive flesh of his ear, causing him to groan as her hot breath tingled against his cool skin.

"Tell me what you're thinking" she whispered. Damon couldn't believe she had asked him that as he combed his fingers through her hair, which made her feel the need to lean back and study his face.

"You really wanna know?"

"Yeah" she nodded, her fingers still playing with the hair at the nape of his neck, "I do."

"Well firstly, I'm thinking about how much I want to take you home with me."

"Mhm," she smiled, "What else?"

"Second, I'm thinking of all the reasons of why I shouldn't be."

It was like a bucket of ice being tipped over his head at the way her face dropped. Before she had the chance to turn her head away he gently, but firmly, made her look into his steely eyes.

"But if you tell me now, Elena, that you _completely _understand the magnitude of this situation then I won't think twice about starting up that engine and taking you home with me. I want nothing more than to do that right now. But you have to be honest with me and tell me if you're in anyway uncomfortable or unsure about this."

The look in her almond-shaped eyes told him she had listened to every single word spoken. She wasn't a child. She wasn't in a la-la land where she thought it was all fun and games. Elena was a young woman now and had been forced to grow up. She had to be after what she went through with losing her parents. Damon knew how that felt all too well. He turned from a boy into a man long before he should have done.

"I understand," came her unexpected response, her voice barely above a whisper. "I understand everything, Damon. I promise."

And there, right there Elena spoke the exact words Damon wanted and _needed _to hear. She knew exactly what she was doing. And she said his name for the very first time. It sounded perfect as breathless whisper. But Damon couldn't hide the devilish smile on his face when he pictured her crying out his name over and over again until it bounced off the walls around them. Of which would most certainly be happening in an hour's time.

"Well in that case I'd better get us to where we both desperately wanna be right now, hadn't I?"

Elena hummed her affirmation, "Absolutely."

As she struggled to clamber off his lap, her hand slipped onto the steering wheel behind her and landed on the horn. The offending 'beep' that blasted through their ears caused Elena to shriek and Damon to repeatedly curse under his breath, looking around the car anxiously incase anyone came to investigate.

_What was that about not getting caught and understanding the magnitude of this situation, again? Get to grips you fucking idiot._

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" he heard Elena rush as he quickly started up the car. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm-"

"Whoa, slow down lil' miss" he chuckled, amused at the horror etched onto her pretty little face as he pulled out of the parking lot, "I don't want you passing out on me... yet."

The look on her face was priceless as he hit fifth gear, giving her a cheeky little wink before looking back on the road ahead. He did not want to waste another minute of the precious time they had together.

* * *

><p><strong>Elena's POV<strong>

Sitting against the plush leather passenger seat in Damon's car, Elena could feel every pulse beating in her body. Her heart was dancing, her throat was drumming and the ache between her legs was throbbing with need. She had never felt like this before and it was completely exhilarating.

She looked across to the heartbreakingly gorgeous man next to her, lost in his handsome profile as he concentrated hard on the road, weaving through traffic, desperate to get them both to where they've dreamed of being since they first met. How did they manage to deny themselves of this for so long? Elena congratulated herself for her will power, because right now she's wondering how on earth she coped without knowing what his lips felt like against hers for all this time.

It made her think back to the boys of her past. Not that there were many. Matt was her first boyfriend, her first kiss, but not her first everything. She lost her virginity to Stefan, and he was the only boy she had ever slept with. Suddenly she felt incredibly nervous about that fact as she looked to herself in the side mirror out of the window. Stefan was all she knew. Never would she regret her first time with him; he was gentle, caring and they were crazy about each other. But if she was completely honest with herself, it was never mind-blowing, or how she really imagined sex to be. They were each others first and she knew she couldn't put any blame on Stefan for that at all. But it was all so mechanical. As though they were going by what they saw in the movies as opposed to embracing their natural reactions to one another. So to sum it all up - she was terrified she would disappoint Damon.

As Damon turned the car sharply around a corner, Elena felt her substitute phone buzz in the bag between her feet. The one she had dropped and left behind a few days ago was still switched off. With a sigh she quickly retrieved it to find a missed call from Caroline and two missed calls from Bonnie. Why were they desperate to call her? Were they meant to be doing something tonight? Elena furrowed her brow in thought, trying to jog her memory of any plans she had with the girls.

Too late for that though. Her whole body flourished with a nervous excitement as Damon swiftly pulled the car into his driveway. They were here.

_Oh God, this is really happening _she thought, smiling like a beaming Cheshire Cat as she dropped her phone back into her bag. Caroline and Bonnie would simply have to wait.

Elena quickly took in the exterior of the secluded apartments before her. They were in a more affluent area of Mystic Falls. She only managed to notice the two storey windows accompanied with a balcony on each floor as she climbed out of the car, before she spotted Damon's seductive smile flash her way, along with a cheeky wiggle of his eyebrows. She could help but giggle.

"What's got you chuckling away, Miss Gilbert?" he drawled, rounding the car and slowly advancing towards her with a lazy smile on that gorgeous face of his. It felt natural when he stood before her, for Elena to wrap her arms around his shoulders while his slipped around her tiny waist. As though they were a couple and had done it a million times before

"Just the way you look" she replied.

"Oh, I look funny now, do I?" he said, hoisting her up so her legs automatically wrapped around his hips. Elena found it incredibly difficult not to gasp at the feel of his bulge kneading between her legs.

"No I didn't meant that" she sniggered as he walked them towards his apartment door, carrying her as though she weighed nothing in his arms. "I meant that you look..."

"Dashing? Gorgeous?"

He unlocked and threw open his door. Barely giving Elena time to register her new surroundings before she was pinned against the wall inside.

"_Irrrresistable?"_

The lop-sided grin on his face was just too delicious for words. It compensated for his cocky attitude, which she secretly loved anyway.

"You're so full of it. Do you know that?" she said in a breathless whisper as he drew closer. Eyes never moving from hers.

"Yep," he said with a pop of his lips. Elena found she was slowly licking her own from watching his. No more time wasting. She needed him and she needed him now.

Feeling more confident that she ever had been with Stefan, Elena slowly reached out her fingers to tweak open the buttons of his black shirt. Remembering the day he wore it in class a couple of Monday's ago; watching the defined muscles of his arms strain under the material, imaging how soft his flesh would be underneath. So consumed with her memories and watching her fingers work away at those buttons, she didn't notice Damon inch towards her neck. He so much as brushed those magical lips against her skin and she was lost, unable to stop the gasp that escaped her lips as his tongue swirled along her heated skin. Her eyes involuntary rolled to the back of her head, another gasp, louder, echoing from her as she pushed away the shirt that concealed what was sure to be a magnificent body underneath it.

And she wasn't disappointed as she freely grazed her fingertips down the toned, sculptured muscles of his stomach. Her own coiled with desire as her fingers slipped passed the treasure trail she found to grasp onto his belt. Wanting more.

She whimpered as he tore away from her neck, but he soon made up for it as he violently shrugged away the rest of shirt from his arms as though the material was burning his skin. As his lips crashed onto hers, her head banged against the wall behind her. Painful though it was, she didn't care. She was hungry for him and smiled against his mouth as he pulled her away from the wall to guide her further into his home. Hopefully towards his bedroom.

And then she was gently being placed onto his bed, sinking into the thick sheets, his lips never leaving hers as he settled his half naked body between her legs. The feeling of his hard, muscular body blanketing hers was just incredible. She wanted to feel his naked skin against hers, so she got to work at her flimsy t-shirt, grabbing the hem with her trembling fingers. She saw, as she rode the material over her body, Damon watching her with hot, hungry eyes. His hands wasted no time in stroking over her bare stomach and ribs. She hummed at the sensation, gasping as he made sure to circle the pad of his thumb around her right, bra-clad nipple before grasping her chin and kissing her hard. He knew exactly how to touch her and it drove her insane under his body. Her limbs had a mind of their own as her hands continued to tackle with his belt and her legs cradled his back and sides. It was never this way with Stefan and she knew it never could be.

The belt still wasn't complying with her needs. She felt his hot breath against her mouth as he chuckled at her unsuccessful attempts to get him naked.

"Someone's a little impatient" he teased. "Want a hand?"

Elena, wanting to give as good as she got, hastily bit his bottom lip.

"You know I do," she ordered, reveling in the surprised look she got from her oh so cocky lover.

She watched as he rose to his knees over her body, staring down hard while his hands tugged on the fastening of his belt.

"Keep that attitude up Miss Gilbert and you'll find yourself in _big _trouble."

She arched her eyebrows challengingly, never feeling so confident and sexy as she lay underneath his body, watching him yank down the zipper and shed his clothing until she was greeted with his constricted Calvin Klein boxers.

_Oh my... _mused her hazy thoughts, swallowing the lump in her throat convulsively.

* * *

><p><strong>Damon's POV<strong>

Damon Salvatore was sincerely enjoying the confident, little minx that was Elena Gilbert in his bed right now. It was like a whole new side of her had been unleashed as she lay before him, staring at the sizable bulge in his boxers.

As much as he wanted her to act out what he'd jerked off to in the shower multiple times; such as the image of her crawling to her knees, sliding her hand passed the fabric of his boxers and taking him into her mouth while gazing up with her glazed doe eyes, he knew not to expect that. This time would be dominantly his lead; slow, tender and meaningful. He didn't want her to feel uncertain, scared or used. She was young and while it seemed she was not as naive as most other girls her age, he didn't want her questioning what they were about to do.

His eyes never left her face as he carefully leaned down against her body, working away at the pesky button of her skin-tight jeans and dragging them down her long, slender legs that had she teased him with so many times with the skirts she wore to class. He showed his affection by raining kisses along the smooth skin, lifting her left leg over his broad shoulder and gliding his tongue along the inside of her thigh. She was delicious. The way she felt under his palms, the way her flesh tasted like cinnamon, the way she watched him while her dainty hands twisted against the sheets. God, if this is what she was like now, he couldn't _wait _to see her writhe around in a few moments time.

Kissing, licking and nipping his way back to her lips, Damon groaned heavily into her parted mouth when he felt her hand against his unbearably hard erection. When she snapped her hand passed the waistband to enclose her fingers one by one around his shaft, he almost lost it.

"Oh fuck, Elena..." he whimpered, just as she began to pump her hand up and down. Her grip was firm and movements fluid - exactly how he _loved _it.

To Hell with the permanent slow and tender approach. If she was playing dirty, so was Damon.

He practically ripped off her lacy, black bra to expose her perfect, round breasts. She squealed with surprised pleasure as he flicked his tongue over each nipple, causing her to arch into his waiting mouth. Damon smirked against her pert, right nipple as she managed to find her hand back to his manhood, making his head spin and blood boil to the point where he felt could burst. Again, he could go one step further with the little game she was playing.

"Did I not warn you about that attitude, Miss Gilbert?" he taunted against her heaving breasts, looking up to see her face contort with pleasure as he blew against the wet trail he'd left on her sensitive nipple.

"Maybe," she breathed. "Maybe I just didn't listen to you, _Damon."_

She swiped her thumb over the head of his cock as she drawled out his name, almost causing the elbows he was propped up on to give way.

"Mmm" he purred, smirking down at her while she beamed with satisfaction, "you're in _very _big trouble, Elena..."

"Oh yeah? How sss-oh!"

He swiftly slipped her underwear aside to drive one, long finger deep into her slick core. Flicking her sensitive bundle of nerves with his thumb the moment his finger reached the hilt, making her shudder and moan in overwhelming pleasure against his hand.

He slowly began to slide back his finger, but as soon as she began to relax he buried it slow and deep inside her once again. Her reaction was so pure and natural, something Damon hadn't experienced in a while. He greedily took in her body, his intense gaze drinking in the way she began to grind against his moving fingers, the way her stomach tensed with each movement, the way she grabbed a handful of the bed sheets and bit into the material to stifle her screams that would surely get the neightbours knocking on his door if she released them. She looked positively exquisite and Damon could not hold off a second longer.

Still probing her with one hand, he discretely used the other to open his bedside draw to reach for some protection. He couldn't help but grin when he eventually removed his hand to hear her whimpers of protest.

"Damon don't stop. Please, that was so good."

To still hear her say his name was just something else. For weeks of hearing her say 'Mr Salvatore' and 'Sir' when all he wanted was for her to say his name was just excruciating. To hear Elena go back to his surname come Monday morning was going to be Hell.

Damon kissed away the pout that appeared on her full, rosy-lips as she hazily looked into his eyes.

"This going to be better," he stated as he pulled away her underwear, "I promise."

The look on her face told him she didn't doubt that. Her legs inched out to accommodate his body, causing both of them to groan with content at feel of their naked bodies moulding perfectly against one another. It would take all but one thrust for Damon to be inside her, but he was desperately searching her face for any kind of uncertainly or panic. The last thing he wanted to do was make her feel like she had to oblige to continue just because they were at this stage now.

She must have sensed this about him as her hand reached to cup his jaw while the other lovingly stroked away the unruly, raven black hair away from his forehead.

"Take me, Damon" she breathed.

And he did.

With one, gentle push he eased his length inside her until he was buried to the hilt and both released a cry of pure pleasure. She was _so _tight that Damon felt he could explode right then and there. And the way she raked her hands down the length of his back and pressed her bare, sweat-glistening breasts against his chest was _not_ helping. He set a steady rhythm, grabbing her left leg and hoisting it over his shoulder once again, staring at her with such intensity that neither of them could break contact.

As the delicious sound of flesh slapping against flesh filled the room Damon felt all kinds of turned on as she arched back her neck, exclaiming her affections for everything he was making her feel in that moment. Damon continued to watch her pleasure-stricken face as he turned his head to the shapely leg resting against his shoulder. He planted soft, wet kisses along her ankle and calf, biting down and sending her into a frenzy.

She sat up from the bed to grip onto his shoulders for dear life as she cried out his name. Damon took it upon himself to rest back on his knees so she was straddling him, yet he was the one pumping up hard and fast into her body mercilessly. His plans for taking it slow all but forgotten.

"Damon, Oh God, Damon!" she cried, screaming his name over and over as he watched, mesmerized at the way she arched back to expose her gleaming, toned body and where they were intimately joined for his eyes to feast upon. Never would he be with someone as beautiful as Elena Gilbert again in his life. Of that, he knew.

He latched his lips onto the nearest nipple, sucking and nibbling on the hardened peak until she was practically juddering against his body.

"Damon I... I feel... Oh my..."

She was coming, and clearly for the first time.

"Just ride it 'Lena" he moaned, feeling his own impending release but he was more than determined to see her through first.

Her eyes almost pop out of her head as she lunged forward to stare at him. When he drilled into her harder, hitting that mind-blowing spot for her every time, the look on her face told him she understood the white, hot pleasure that began to plough its way through her body was normal. And with one final thrust, her body spasm and convulsed against his own, sending her into a blissful oblivion as she screamed his name to the point where it tipped him over to his own release.

As much as Damon wanted to throw his head back and growl with ecstasy as he came, he made sure to watch each and every move of Elena's first orgasm. Her body was flush against his, tense with her quivering arms around his shoulders and fingers digging into his skin to the point where he was sure he was bleeding. However he didn't give a fuck. He was far too busy imprinting the image of her face in his memory as it was now. Her hair blanketing around them both, her cheeks flushed a glowing pink and her eyes barely able to keep open as she tried to look at him.

"That was..." she whispered, unable to form words as she continued to flutter around his girth. Damon smirked,

"Did I fulfill my promise?"

She laughed breathlessly and lazily planted a kiss on his lips.

"Absolutely."

"You sure? If not I can always try again" he taunted, gently thrusting while he was still inside her.

"Oh God, I couldn't. Not just yet" she laughed, "That was amazing."

"It was" he agreed, stroking away the strands of hair that clung to her damp temples. "You cold?" he asked, noticing her tiny body begin to shiver in his arms.

"Yeah just a li-"

**BUZZ!  
>BUZZ!<br>****BUZZ!**

"Oh great," snapped Damon as his apartment buzzer bleated through the room.

"What's that?"

"Someone calling from downstairs," sighed Damon, already missing the feel of her body against his as she moved out of his lap.

"Who do you think it is?" she asked while wrapping his dark bed sheets around her body.

"I dunno," admitted Damon, springing from the bed to quickly clean himself up and slip on his boxers, "probably someone coming to complain about the noise" he teased, snapping the elastic of his boxers against his skin with a big-headed grin on his face.

"Oh don't say that!" she blushed, grabbing a pillow and burying her face into it.

Damon laughed to himself as he sauntered through the expanse of his apartment, yawning with content as he reached the door and swung it open.

_Oh shit._

"Hello there, Damon. Did you forget about our little date?" snapped the very irritated voice of Isobel Flemming at his doorstep.

* * *

><p><em>Soooo? What's the verdict? Do I have the ability to write smutty or should I stick with the usual 'the next morning' line? The only way i'll know is if you review, review, review!<em>

_And yeah, another mean cliffhanger - what's gonna happen now?_

_Once again if I am treated to plenty of reviews, the next chapter will be up in no time._

_Anna x _


	11. Chapter 11

_G'day Delena fans!_

_Once again I am THRILLED with your reviews. If there was one chapter where I really needed them, it was that one. So thank you so much to all of you. And yaaaaay, I can write smut! Mehehehe. _

_So here I give you chapter 11. Already brewing up Chapter 12 in my head - I intend to keep you all entertained throughout our entire wait until S3 begins. (Can you believe they've pushed the air date back to the 15th? Yeah, it's only a week... but still, a week!)_

* * *

><p><strong><span>Damon's POV<span>**

"_Hello there, Damon. Did you forget about our little date?"_

Stood there in his boxers that were riding dangerously low on his hips, Damon stared at Isobel; slack-jawed with a thousand thoughts scurrying through his post-orgasmic haze.

Unable to decide what to say to her first, Damon opted for the question that jumped to the forefront of his mind next.

"Isobel, how did you know where I lived?"

She gave a little shrug, putting on her Little Miss Innocent-Who-Doesn't-Know-Any-Better act that pissed Damon _right _off.

"I have my ways," she mused lowly, enjoying his baffled expression before succumbing to the truth, "we work in the same place, Damon. Your address was pretty easy to obtain. I thought I'd get it incase anything like _this _happened."

"Riiiight," said Damon, beginning to feel a little scared of how well she'd thought this evening through when for him, he'd completely forgotten about it.

"So," she quipped, her face going from pleasant to pissed, "where were you?"

"I was asleep" Damon stated, getting fucked off with her attitude and inability to see that he was not interested in her. That this 'date' was only organized because she _oh so_ desperately wanted to say sorry for spilling a little coffee on his shirt. It was time to nip it in the bud. No more Mister Nice Guy.

"Asleep? You fell asleep knowing you were meant to be meeting with me!"

"Yeah I feel asleep. I was exhausted, so I went to bed. I'm sorry."

"Sorry? That hardly makes up for having me wait an hour for you."

Damon blinked at her words. How late was it exactly? He and Elena had completely lost track of time. Speaking of which, he felt a cold sweat envelope his body at the thought of Elena hearing any of this conversation. He felt physically sick at the prospect of her wandering out of his bedroom...

"I said I'm sorry," he finally snapped, needing to wrap this pathetic dispute, "what more do you want me to do, Isobel?"

"Well," she began, fluttering her chunky, fake eyelashes up at him. Damon had witnessed this look from her before and he knew it didn't mean anything good for him. "You could invite me in for a drink," she suggested, her eyes taking in his bare physique.

"Now is not a good time," Damon blurted, feeling like he was digging his own grave once again with her, "my place isn't exactly guest friendly right now. Total shit hole."

"Well it won't exactly be the decor i'll be looking at will it, Damon?" she said, taking one step closer.

"Really, Isobel. It's not the best time" he said sternly, blocking off his door a little more defensively than he intended. She looked up at him with a great deal of confusion, but as though she was searching for something in his eyes. Like the truth for example.

"Do you have someone in here with you, Damon?"

* * *

><p><strong>Elena's POV<strong>

Elena had remained wrapped in Damon's bed sheets the entire time he had been at the door. Sitting in a deathly silence. Almost too scared to breathe. She listened as best as she could, only grasping the odd word or sentence.

"_... meeting with me..."_

"_... fell asleep... I'm sorry"_

"_... for you..."_

"_... what do you want me to do, Isobel?"_

Elena clamped her hands over her mouth, stifling the gasp that tried to escape between her shaking fingers. It was Miss Flemming! If she was catching the conversation right, it sounded like Damon was meant to see her or something. Her heart began to thunder painfully against her chest. This was _not_ how today was supposed to end.

"_..Invite me for a drink?" _Was the latest thing she caught from Miss Flemming and Elena gritted her teeth, willing to hold the tears back. Did he just take her back to his because she was an easier option? Because she was so willing? Elena suddenly felt uncomfortable in her own skin. Dirty, even. How could he continue to stand and chat with Isobel when she was naked in his bed!

As silently as possible, Elena shifted from her huddled position under the sheets to find what clothing she had strewn on the floor. Her underwear was at the foot of the bed, along with her jeans. She grabbed for the denim and dragged it onto her lap, frantically searching for her phone...

Which she'd left in her bag.

By Damon's door.

* * *

><p><strong>Damon's POV<strong>

"Really Isobel, as bad as I feel for oversleeping you have no right to start questioning what I do in my personal life. I don't happen to have anyone in here but even if I did, it's none of your businesses."

Damon smirked and twitched his eyebrows in a clever manner, making sure his words hit home. He even went as far to lean on his door frame and fold his arms across his bare chest.

Finally she looked defeated, but kept up a little stubborn streak. She scoffed and shook her head to the floor. Then her whole attitude suddenly seemed to change. Damon couldn't put his finger on it, but he felt his jaw tighten anxiously.

"Whatever you say, Damon" she said, slowly raising her eyes to meet his, "but I may start to consider _making_ it my business."

Damon frowned, not entirely understanding why she said that. Whether he understood it or not, her threat worried him.

"Goodnight Damon," she said, then turning on her heel and leaving.

Stunned and bewildered by her unexpected exit, Damon slowly closed his apartment door. Once closed he rested his head against the thick wood, trying to fit the pieces of Isobels' cryptic, little puzzle in his head. It was like she left with one up on him, even though he had given her the cold shoulder.

"Fuck it," he spat under breath, turning to go back to his gorgeous girl who was laying naked in his bed.

Damon almost went flying across the room as his foot caught Elena's bag which she had dropped in their frantic make-out session against the door earlier. Despite the shock of almost flattening his face on his wooden floor, Damon smirked at the memory, heading back to his bedroom to finish where he and Elena had left off.

His perky, content mood automatically dropped as he pushed open his bedroom door to find Elena frantically pulling up her jeans in tears.

"Whoa, what's this?" Damon questioned. She ignored him, furiously wiping away the tears in her eyes and covering her exposed breasts with her left arm while she hunted for her clothes. This was not good at all. "Elena, answer me" Damon ordered.

"Can you see my bra?" she said, her cheeks actually blazing red because she had to ask.

"Don't you think it's a little late to be all shy and retiring now, Elena" he teased, treating her to the cheeky smirk and 'eye-thing' that he already knew she loved. But she was having none of it.

"Quit playing games, Damon. Help me find it so I can leave you and Miss Flemming to your date which I clearly interrupted."

Her voice was like deadly venom; painful yet numbing his entire body. She heard everything and had clearly gotten the wrong end of the stick. As he open his mouth to explain she roughly barged passed him, yanking her top from near the doorway and storming into the dark lounge.

"Elena," he called, desperately trying to think where to begin. He drudgingly followed her, watching as she pulled her t-shirt over her beautiful, olive skin. His chest tightened at the thought of never seeing her bare skin like that again. "You need to let me explain-"

"Explain what?" she seethed, looking at him properly through her tears, "explain how I made it all so easy for you to pursue me as a bit on the side while you're busy organizing dates with someone else?"

"Oh come on, Elena" said Damon as if she said the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard. Which it actually was. "You don't really think I'd be like that do you?"

"Well I don't know!" she snapped, flailing her arms in the air, "I barely know you! Which ultimately shows how stupid of me it was to let you do what you just did to me."

Her words were like a knife to his heart, slowly twisting the muscle until it tore in half as she made her way for the door. Damon, never one to back down, followed hot on her tail as she made it to doorway to slip on her shoes. He wasn't going to allow her to continue getting ready to leave while he explained the situation. The fact she had been doing it while he tried to apologized annoyed the Hell out of him, as much as he tried to understand her point of view. A tiny gasp elicited from her lips as he grabbed her forearms and pushed her against the wall. Not as in a way to hurt her, but as a way to make her listen.

"Damon, let go of me!" she sobbed, trying to wriggle out of his tight grasp but he was having none of it. No way was she leaving without him setting the score straight.

"Elena will you..."

"I just wanna go home. Let me go!"

"Will you please-"

"Let me go!"

"Just-"

"Get off me!"

"Elena will you fucking listen to me!"

She froze like a statue in his arms. Eyes wide with shock as he held her close, their noses brushing and breath hot on each others lips.

"Do you seriously think that if I wanted a quick fuck that i'd do it with one of my students? If that was all I wanted, then I would have no problem getting that from Isobel. To cut a long story short, she cornered me into meeting with her as a sorry for something she did. Not my decision and I said yes to shut her up. I have just risked _everything_ to spend this time with you; my career, my life, my whole fucking future. I wouldn't risk that unless I knew it was worth it. And you are worth it, Elena Gilbert."

She had begun to tremble, as had he after his passionate little speech. It hadn't sunk in how much he'd put on the line until he'd actually said it out aloud - and now he felt scared, staring with a blank expression as he looked into her watery, brown eyes. Comfort melted through him as her hands cupped his face, her fingers curling into his disheveled, dark hair.

"I'm sorry, Damon" he watched her say, feeling a sense of relief unknot the tight, strained muscles in his body. "I should've known..."

"Well like you said. You barely know me" came Damon's low response.

Elena closed her eyes and bit her lip, clearly wishing she could turn back time and alter what she'd said.

"Can we still change that?" she asked in a meek voice, sinking into his body against the wall.

Damon wanted to say yes. He wanted her and that wouldn't change. But what if this happened again? What if they continued to see each other and something happened where Elena was in the dark about it, would she go crying to her friends? She would never be able to do that if this continued. It would blow their cover. It would be between the two of them and no one else. And it would be that way for a very, very long time. It was a massive risk and one he'd thought long and hard about for many sleepless nights. But it was only now on the verge of discovery that he realized the seriousness of what he and Elena were doing. He rested his forehead gently against hers and sighed.

"It'll be hard, Elena. None of this is going to be easy."

"I know, I understand" she replied, quickly kissing his parted lips that made him want more.

"It would have to be a secret" he said, sliding his hands to palm her cheeks.

"Our secret. No one else" she breathed, kissing him once again.

Damon was slowly becoming drugged on her touch, addicted to the way her lips made love to his and the way her body melted against his own. Once again time was lost and Damon wanted her back in that bedroom, naked and riding him like there was no tomorrow.

Then the loud, mood-breaking buzz of a cell phone begged for their attention. They sighed against one another's mouths, amused and breathless.

Damon was about to suggest they ignore it and take their explorations of one another's body elsewhere, until Elena's eyes shot open with complete horror.

"Oh my God!"

"W-what?" hurried Damon, releasing her from his embrace as she went scurrying to the floor like a startled mouse. He watched her with a frown as her hands fumbled around for her phone in the depths of her bag. Yanking it out, she looked at the device in her hand like it was possessed.

"Six missed calls from Caroline, eight from Bonnie and twelve from Aunt Jenna, oh my God!"

_You have _**got **_to be kidding me..._

"Elena you said you didn't have to be anywhere," said Damon, stating the obvious but feeling the need to as she mumbled incoherent words while texting someone.

"I know, I forgot!" she whined, "I was supposed to be at Caroline's for a sleep over hours ago. I'm such an idiot! My Aunt's gonna freak!"

"Elena just calm down," Damon instructed, seeing the girl was going head first into a panic attack. "Just call your Aunt and tell her you're alright and you've just needed some time alone."

"But I'm a terrible liar."

"Well this can be good practice. 'Cause I can guarantee you're gonna be doing a lot more of it from now on, honey."

"Don't remind me," she huffed, staring at her phone for a good ten seconds before pressing call. Damon waited next to her silently, hoping to God that Elena would work herself out of her mess unscathed.

* * *

><p><strong>Elena' POV<strong>

With each passing 'ring-ring' that droned down the receiver, Elena felt her stomach churn. She had completely forgot about Caroline's slumber party as soon as she'd stepped into Damon's classroom. Just looking at him had completely erased the outside world around them. Now she was paying the price, because she knew she was in serious trouble.

Finally, Aunt Jenna answered the phone, her breathing laboured and heavy.

"Elena, thank God!" she bellowed, causing Elena to inch the phone away from her ear, "where the Hell are you, we've been worried sick!"

"I know, I'm sorry," Elena whined, looking up to Damon as if he would have the answer for an easy way out of this. He gave her a nod, urging her to continue. "I can explain everything"

"Oh everything? Can you explain how you haven't answered your phone to anyone for the last _six_ hours? How you didn't turn up to Caroline's after school? How you-"

"I was at the grave," Elena blurted, feeling a rush of guilt swell in her tiny body for using her parents resting place as an excuse. "I was at the grave, Aunt Jenna"

"Bullshit, Elena. We checked there three times!"

"Who's we?" Elena asked shakily, knowing her Aunt was seriously angry if she felt the need to swear at her.

"Myself, Bonnie, Caroline even Jeremy!"

Elena felt defeated and shook her head at Damon. She rubbed her free hand against her head, as if it would massage the perfect excuse into her brain.

"Where were you, Elena?" Aunt Jenna ordered.

"I really was at the grave, Jenna. For a while, I don't know what time, but you must have just missed me."

"Well that's fair enough. But where have you been since? Where are you now even?"

Elena gulped and began pacing back at forth. Damon stayed well back which Elena was thankful for. She'd probably take out all her frustration and panic on him if he came into her personal space. But still, an excuse for where she was now...

_C'mon Elena, think!_

"I just went for a walk. I needed some time to myself, you know I need that sometimes."

"But you haven't wandered off like that for months, Elena. And you would always answer your phone. You completely ignored us. The girls thought you'd been abducted on your way home, we were on the verge of calling Caroline's mom at work to send out a search party for you!"

"Okay, I get it! You were all worried and I'm a stupid, ignorant girl for not letting you know where I was, I get it!" Elena blurted, bursting into tears at this whole mess. "But all I wanted was time to myself, why can't you understand that?"

"I do. But there's a fine line between wanting time to yourself and completely cutting yourself off from the world. Do you remember when Jeremy would storm out and disappear for hours on end and come back drunk, stoned, heck even with the police? Do you remember how frantic I was? I thought you knew better than to put myself in that situation with you too, Elena Gilbert."

Listening to her Aunt sound so betrayed and upset killed Elena inside. As amazing as her time with Damon had been, would it really have killed her to send a text to Caroline and Bonnie when she was in the car earlier? If she had, none of this would be happening.

"I'm sorry," cracked Elena through her tears. "I didn't mean-"

"We'll discuss it more when I come to collect you. Where are you?"

"I... I'm already on my way."

"Don't give me that, tell me where you are and i'll pick you-"

Elena hung up. She didn't feel like she had any other choice.

Sobbing on Damon's worn, leather couch Elena felt him come towards her. Through her blurry eyes she saw him stood in front of her.

"Didn't go too well I take it?"

Elena stood up and shook her head, collapsing into his body for the embrace she desperately needed. Even now when she had so much against her, just being in his tender hold made her feel so much better. His warm, toned arms squeezed her body lovingly against his. Like he was cocooning her from the troubles that seemed to collide into them in the last hour. Is this what they were up against from now on? Elena shuddered at the thought, nuzzling her head into the crook of his neck to hide away for just a minute longer.

When Damon slowly drew back she was forced to look at him. His thumbs stroked away the hot tears that trailed down her cheeks.

"I'm afraid you've got the face the music, Elena" he said admittedly.

"I know" she sighed, resting her head into his right hand that continued to brush at her damp cheek, "but if I can't take control over the phone, how am I meant to do it in person?"

"Because you have to" he stated, "once faced with it, you'll be fine."

"Do you think so?"

"Well if I can tell Isobel where to go in my underwear when she's desperate to get in them, I'm sure you can handle your Aunt." He finished off with 'the smirk' and Elena found herself laughing, enjoying the way his fingertips grazed from her cheeks to glide through her long, slightly messy hair after their love-making. "Give me a minute to get dressed. I don't particularly fancy driving you home like this," he said, gesturing to his toned body and tensing his washboard stomach.

"I hate to love how arrogant you are," Elena sighed, feeling her stomach flutter as he winked before disappearing into his room.

Once he was gone, the worry settled in once again.

Elena quickly grabbed for her converse that were strewn by the door, hastily shoving them onto her feet and tying up the worn laces. Her phone began buzzing in her pocket again. She already knew it would be Aunt Jenna, but she looked anyway.

It felt like a ton of bricks had landed on her body to see the name 'Uncle John' flashing on the screen. Aunt Jenna must have called him after she hung up. Things were going from bad to worse!

"Still getting hassled?" she heard Damon ask. She looked up to find him pulling on a tight, white t-shirt over his amazing muscles. She hoped it wouldn't be long until she saw them again.

"Yeah, it's my Uncle John" she said, noticing the colour drain from Damon's face.

"Lets get you home," came his response.

Elena wasted no time grabbing for her bag and hurrying out of the door, not waiting for Damon as he locked up. She was already on the driveway when she wondered if Isobel was still lurking around. Flitting her head from side to side only to be greeted with the dark and sound of crickets, Elena came to the conclusion Isobel had left when she did. Surely she couldn't be that stalker-ish on Damon.

As Damon wandered outside Elena saw him on the phone.

"Sorry again Ric, I completely overslept and fucked up my whole evening," he mumbled while pressing the button to unlock the car. Elena hopped in, remembering how Damon called Mr Saltzman 'Ric' at his classroom door that afternoon. It had to be him. "Yeah tomorrow's good. Meet you in The Grill at around 9. Later."

"Another problem to add to the list" she sighed.

"Thankfully that one has been sorted" he said, reversing out of the driveway, "where d'you live?"

"2104 Maple Street."

"I'll drop you off around the corner," he decided, to which Elena nodded in agreement. The last thing they needed was someone spotting them as he dropped her off outside her house.

Elena felt sick the entire drive home. She had never been in trouble with Aunt Jenna before and she knew she had betrayed her trust. The trust that she needed if she was able to leave the house to see Damon in the future. That privilege was gone and who knows when she would finally earn it back.

Sitting in the car watching the world drive by, Elena wished they could turn back. In those few, amazing hours in Damon's company Elena had felt more happier and more alive than she had done in months. No one had brought that passion for life and to live it as much as Damon did. Not her remaining family, not her friends, not Stefan - it was all Damon. He took her hand that rested next to her thigh. She smiled down at their entwined fingers; a sign that he was there for her. Come what may.

"I'll pull up here," he said once they were closing in on Maple Street.

"I'm so scared, Damon" she shook, feeling all the nerves and fear rise once again as he put the car into park.

He scoped around the vehicle for any spying eyes before closing in on her lips. Elena squeezed her eyes shut and relished in the feeling, never wanting to stop.

"You'll be fine. Just stick to the story you played out and you'll be fine."

She inhaled a deep breath and slowly released it, an act that worked like a charm. Opening her eyes she met those of ocean blue, feeling as though she could swim in those captivating pools forever.

"Message me once everything is okay, you got it?"

"But I don't have your number" Elena said.

"Yeeeah about that... I kinda took it upon myself to add it to your contacts list on the phone you left behind," he replied with a little grin playing on his lips.

"You added it before all of this happened?"

"Mhm," Damon nodded, "what can I say, I like to take risks."

"Clearly" she laughed, feeling quite relieved that she would be able to remain in contact with him outside of school. "I'll message or even call you as soon as I can."

"You better" he replied with a smile, a smile that told her everything would be alright. She quickly gave him one last goodbye kiss before unlocking her seat belt and exiting the car.

"Goodnight Damon."

"Goodnight Elena."

She smiled down at her incredibly handsome lover before closing the car door and swinging her bag over her shoulders. Watching that car drive away without her was so incredibly hard. But Damon had faith her and her story wouldn't play off unless she had faith in herself.

Elena felt blood thunder through her ears as she walked up the path towards her house. Apart from worrying about her cover story, she was beginning to worry about what she looked like. She hadn't checked herself in a mirror or anything, too preoccupied with the matter at hand to think about anything like that. Did she have crazy 'sex hair' going on? Were her clothes presentable? She could even smell Damon on herself. If Aunt Jenna got close enough to yell in her face would she smell the zest of cologne of the opposite sex? Oh God, it was all too much to think about. And Elena was already twisting the knob of her front door.

It was no surprise to find Aunt Jenna sat at the bottom of the stairs with her phone in her hand, looking incredibly pissed off.

Elena chose not to say anything as she quietly closed the door behind her, standing there like a shy little girl.

"So you add insult to injury by hanging up on me"

Elena shrugged, then felt like an insolent teenager for doing so.

"You left me no choice" Jenna added, then blinking over to the living room.

As Elena opened her mouth to speak, Uncle John wandered into the foyer with the air of authority about him that she'd grown to hate with a passion.

"Jesus, anyone would think I was a four year old girl who'd gone wandering off by herself with the fuss you're making over this" Elena snapped.

"Well with the circumstances the family is under at the moment Elena, we're right to be concerned about your welfare" said John.

"Don't do that. Don't pretend like you care" Elena said. She made her move to walk by her Uncle but he blocked her path. Elena had to bite her tongue.

"Of course I care. Jenna called, worried sick because you hadn't turned up to Caroline's. You were missing for hours and all kinds of horrible scenarios were playing through our minds."

"Like me managing to hack into my inheritance account and blowing all the money my parents left for me and Jeremy? Gosh, you must have been beside yourself."

She'd stepped over the mark and she knew she had. But did she care? Nope. Once again she made her move to barge passed her Uncle. He refrained her from doing so, grabbing the bag in her hands and wrestling it out of her grasp.

"Get off, that's my stuff!" she screeched.

He rummaged through her belongings without a care for her privacy. From Trigonometry books to Tampons, he tossed them all to the floor until he found both of her phones and her purse.

"For your irresponsible behaviour, these are confiscated until I say otherwise."

"What! That's not fair... Jenna?"

Elena looked to her Aunt for help but she didn't look her way. She shouldn't have expected any different really. Fair enough if Jenna decided to do this, but her Uncle John? No way. She wasn't backing down without a fight.

As he switched on her phone, Elena's eyes widened with horror, remembering how Damon said he'd added his number to the phone she'd dropped in front of his classroom door a few days ago.

"Give me my phone" she demanded.

"No, not until I say different."

"Well fine, but why do you need to look through it?" she stammered, snatching out to grab it but he moved it higher out of her reach.

"Because I want to see who contacted you last. See if it will shed any light on your whereabouts in the last six hours."

"I went for a walk! All over the place to do some thinking, I haven't joined a religious sect!"

_Oh God it's not working, _she thought, watching as he flicked through her phone details, _I'm sorry, Damon..._

Then he flipped it shut and began routing through the one she had used this week. He can't have found anything. If he did, he would be calling the police and all Hell would be breaking loose. Elena remained silent until he'd finished poking around in her private life. Not that there was much to see or find prior to Damon being in it.

"Well I can't see anything to be concerned about here" John mused, blinking up to his niece who glared daggers at him.

"So can I have them back please?"

With a sly wince of his eyes, he dropped them into his suit pocket. Along with her purse.

"You're denied of any privileges this weekend. I'll give them back to you Monday morning."

"But I need my phone" Elena shook, knowing she needed to text Damon. He'd be frantic with worry if she didn't and no doubt be expecting the cops to be knocking on his door all weekend. She needed to put his mind to rest. "I'm sorry I've frightened you all, but you know I like my space. Can't we compromise?"

Elena felt a fleeting hope that John was softening up, but it was wishful thinking through and through.

"Call me if you have any problems, Jenna" said John, making his way to leave.

"Goodnight, John. Thanks."

He nodded his goodbye's and left the Gilbert household. Elena stood feeling so defeated and unsettled. She had no idea how to contact Damon and she knew her ass was grounded for the next millennium. Lord knows what Damon would be going through this weekend. Out of his mind would definitely be one of them. For himself as well as her.

"I saved you dinner if you're interested" came Jenna's voice from the stairs. Elena rolled her eyes and stomped passed her up the stairs to go to her room.

"I am _not _hungry. Goodnight."

She made sure, in true teenage fashion, to slam her bedroom door until the walls around her shook. Throwing her bag into the corner of her room, Elena flopped down onto her bed, gently curling her fingers around her teddy bear and cradling it to her body as she curled into a foetal position on her sheets. Her mind reeled through the days events; if someone told her when she woke up that Friday morning that she would have the most amazing sex with the man she'd fallen head over heels in love with, who also happened to be her teacher and would almost get caught multiple times only minutes after making love with him... she would _never _have believed them. A nervous excitement settled in her body and through her tears, she smiled. Through adversity she still couldn't help but feel happy - because Damon would be there on the other side.

As much as the memories of Damon giving her the best night of her life was enough to make her want to fall asleep and dream, she was in for a restless night.

For what if Damon, pacing anxiously around his apartment for her to get in touch, would eventually decide to call her cell phone which was now in the possession of her Uncle John?

* * *

><p><em>So things are still a liiiittle, bit messy for Delena. What's going on with Isobel? What will happen when Elena faces Caroline and Bonnie Monday morning? And now Uncle John is into the picture... ooh, it's not gonna get any easier. Mwhahaha!<em>

_I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. It was a lot of fun! Please drop your reviews in and another chapter will be on the way shortly. Anna x_


	12. Chapter 12

_Hello there everyone,_

_Once again, thank you so much for all your brilliant reviews. I honestly didn't think I would receive so many for this story - I'm soooo happy!_

_So yeah, I'm a complete bitch for having John, Isobel.. pretty much everyone stop at nothing to wreck precious Delena time... and it's only gonna get worse *insert Sideshow Bob laughter here* ... But yes, much more drama to come._

_Got a sneaky feeling you'll like this chapter. Or I hope so - smut attempt number 2 ;-) Enjoy!_

* * *

><p><strong>Damon's POV<strong>

Damon checked his phone - nothing.

He took a long, heavy gulp of his beer and set the glass down on the table.

Checked his phone - nothing.

A quick glance around at the bustling crowds in The Grill.

Checked his phone - nothing.

Pretended to be interested in what Alaric was saying for a good ten seconds.

Checked his phone - nothing.

"Dude, is everything okay? You seem a little... well, on edge."

Damon abruptly shoved his cell phone into his jacket, looking to Alaric whose eyebrows were knotted together.

"Yeah, I was just waiting for a call. Nothing special."

"Well considering you've been checking your phone every five to six seconds, i'd say otherwise" joked Alaric, then finishing off his beer. "Same again?"

"Sure, man" Damon nodded, staring hard at the table, unable to take his mind of the fact Elena was suppose to call him twenty-four hours ago now. Alaric shook his head, clearly thinking it was a waste of an outing. Damon had barely said a word.

As Alaric turned and headed for the busy bar, Damon took his phone out once again. No new messages. No missed calls.

"What the fuck, Elena" he growled, locking his key-pad and dropping his phone onto the table.

He raked his hands through his thick, black hair. Pulling on it until it hurt, as though it would pull out the horrible thoughts that resided permanently in his head. She was supposed to call to let him know she was alright, that they were safe, that **_she_** was safe but he hadn't heard a peep from her. Surely she can't have forgotten. Elena Gilbert wasn't that careless. What if everything escalated once she was home with her Aunt? Or even worse, with her Uncle John? He called her just before Damon left his apartment to take Elena home. What if he quizzed Elena until she gave in and the police in their forces were about to charge through the door to arrest him? An icy shiver engulfed Damon's body and he checked his phone again - nothing.

Maybe it was time for _him_ to call _her._

A budweiser slid in front of Damon's vision and Alaric slouched back into his seat.

"Cheers," said Damon, giving a quick toast to nothing and proceeding to chug the entire bottle.

Alaric from across the table watched as he drank. Damon could feel him staring as he slammed the glass onto the wooden table top. Now empty.

"Another?" Damon asked.

"Dude, you sure everything's alright?"

"Never better, Ric" replied Damon with a slightly drunken smile as he pushed himself out of his chair. "Back in a jiff."

Damon left before Alaric could say anything. He didn't realize how drunk he was until stood up and then it hit him. Drinking occupied him for those few seconds each time he'd checked his phone since they'd been in The Grill. Which was a good couple of hours by now. Now it had hit the twenty-four hour mark since Elena was supposed to get in touch, Damon felt it was a cause for celebration to get completely hammered.

"Bourbon. Neat" he ordered as he approached the bar. The young girl on the other side gave him a filthy look for his lack of manners. She soon scurried off to comply with his demands as soon as he switched on the stony glare that never failed to get him what he wanted.

While waiting, Damon checked his phone - nothing.

"Anything else?" she huffed.

"Yeah, a couple of buds" he said, not bothering to look as he stared at his phone. He rolled his thumb over the screen until it landed on 'Elena Gilbert'.

"That everything?"

"Yep." Damon handed over the money, telling her to keep the change as he downed the warm, smooth bourbon that coated his throat perfectly.

He pressed call.

It dialed out... it dialed out again... and again... until it went straight to voicemail.

He attempted calling once, twice, three more times until he gave up. She wasn't answering and he felt like throwing his phone against a brick wall.

From across The Grill he saw Alaric slumped in his seat, looking pretty bored and forgotten about. Damon actually felt a little guilty. He was being shitty company for a saturday night, especially since he'd forgotten about meeting up with Alaric yesterday due to his... unexpected engagement with Elena. Knowing he had no other option, Damon sent a quick message to Elena's phone and made his way back to Alaric. Hoping to salvage something out of what was a really anxious and tense weekend.

* * *

><p>Monday morning. 08:45am. Elena would be walking into his classroom any time now. Damon felt physically sick.<p>

He watched his hands visibly shake before him as he opened up his lesson plans, hoping to gain some focus on what he needed to recap and discuss with the class. He was in no mood to be delving into the likes of Shakespeare today. And noticing he had T.S. Eliot's 'The Wasteland' on his agenda for his next class, Damon just wanted to fuck it all off and find a dark secluded bar somewhere to get pissed.

Tapping his pen on his paper, Damon had to laugh at how he envisioned this morning to be after making love with Elena on friday. He expected to be feeling on top of the world, elated despite being nervous and hoping to exchange their knowing smiles during the lesson. Yet he had no idea what to expect until she walked into that class room. He certainly hoped there was a good reason for her lack of response to him over the weekend. Because all it would have taken to make him feel less suicidal was 'everything's fine' in a text message. Because jumping off a bridge right now sounded right up his street.

"Morning Mr Salvatore!" sing-songed Amber as she practically skipped into the classroom. Her happiness and joy pissed Damon off.

"Morning Amber" he replied in a tone that was completely contradictory to her own.

The anxiety in his chest actually began to hurt more and more, as student after student walked into the room. When Caroline came through having somewhat of a tiff with Matt, Damon braced himself for Elena to walk in any second now.

_Just breathe... Breathe._

And there she was. As radiant as ever.

Damon searched her face for any sign of comfort and ease for him. She looked to him with an apologetic smile and for a second it almost looked like she was about to walk right over to his desk to talk to him. However she carried on towards her own, following Bonnie with her head hanging low.

She definitely looked sorry about something. But what exactly was it?

As much as he wanted to march over and discuss everything, he had a classroom full of students to teach. He would simply have to keep guessing.

"Good Morning class," he announced, standing from his chair to address his sixteen-year olds properly. They yawned their responses. "I trust you all had a better weekend than I did."

He momentarily looked at Elena, who looked incredibly hurt for the second he saw her face until she stared down at her desk.

"Alright as usual I'm gonna go through the register and ask for your essays, then we'll begin-"

**KNOCK**

**KNOCK**

**KNOCK**

Damon looked over his left shoulder to his closed door. He felt his stomach drop to the aging laminate flooring beneath his feet. Without stalling to give himself time to think of a horrible scenario, like an army of police knocking as his classroom door, Damon quickly marched over and opened it.

It was John Gilbert. Just as bad.

"Can I help you, Mr Gilbert?" he asked, trying to remain nonchalant even though his nerves were raging.

"I'm wondering if I could steal Elena for a moment please," he stated.

Damon looked over his shoulder to her, she'd perked up at the sound of her name.

"Well I'm just about to begin my lesson. Can this not wait?" Damon asked.

"I'm afraid it can't."

Damon tried to fathom something, _anything_ from John's body language but he was coming out empty. Same blank expression, monotone voice and poker-shoved-up-his-arse posture. Damon swallowed the thick, tasteless lump in his throat as he opened his door wider for John to address his niece personally.

Damon watched her every move as she scraped back her seat, smoothing her hands down her jean-clad thighs as she stood up to walk over to them. She gave a sideways glance to him before exiting the classroom with her Uncle.

Damon didn't know how much more he could take of this guessing-game.

* * *

><p><strong><span>ELENA'S POV<span>**

When would the torture ever end?

Elena followed her Uncle into the faculty lounge. The home of multiple, nasty arguments between them since they had started the school year a few weeks ago. Elena hoped he would just hand over her phone back and all would be done with. But why would he need to lead her out of class? This caused tidal wave of panic to crash into Elena's body and she had to sit herself down on the nearest chair - what if Damon had called her and this is why she was here? If so, this would surely be a strong interrogation about it. She'd never be able to lie her way through.

She secretly crossed her fingers. She didn't want her relationship with Damon to be over before they had even started.

John paced back and forth, hands clasped together behind his back, milking his authority. Elena sighed and tired to act as normal as possible.

"Whatever this is can we hurry it up? I'm missing class"

"This will take as long as it takes," he said. Elena gritted her teeth.

_Argh, why must you be SO infuriating!_

"So what is it then?" she snapped, sick and tired of this being drawn out for longer than necessary.

"Firstly, I want you to promise me you will never disappear like that again. It doesn't do anybody any good-"

"I know, I know! It was bad of me, but I wasn't thinking at the time. I just needed to clear my head."

"Oh is that what it was" John suddenly said, making Elena feel nervous.

"Well.. yeah..." she said, too scared to elaborate in case he caught her out in some way. She still didn't know whether he'd actually sussed out her relationship with Damon.

"Then why do you repeatedly continue to be sketchy of your whereabouts?"

"I... I'm not being sketchy, I told you I went everywhere. Do you think I was somewhere I shouldn't be or something?"

Elena kicked herself mentally for adding that question. Talk about digging her own grave.

"Well the fact you haven't stated exact locations is causing us to wonder" said John while folding his arms.

"I was at the grave, then I went to the waterfall, then the quarry... It was as I said, a long walk to clear my head."

A long, unbearable silence blanketed between them and Elena felt like she was going to self-combust with anxiety. Then her Uncle let out a long sigh before shifting her cell phone from out of his pocket.

"Then you may have this back."

Elena stared down at her phone like it was a block of gold. It felt surreal. She expected this moment to be excruciating and a massive test of her character, yet it was done and dusted so easily. She yanked it out of his possession, along with her purse that quickly followed it.

"Can I go back to class?" she hurried, barely able to keep in her seat.

He nodded and looked as though he were disappointed their meeting hadn't erupted into a massive argument of sorts. It was all very straight-forward. Elena practically flew out of her chair and hurried back to classroom E6. As big as the smile on her face was, she toned it down as she entered the classroom.

Several heads turned to look at her as she stepped inside. She looked over to her teacher, standing in front of the class, staring at her with a look of wonder.

Then he noticed her phone in her left hand.

"Is everything alright Miss Gilbert?"

She stared into those worried, baby-blue eyes for what felt like an age. To everyone else it was oblivious, but she could see through his facade how terrified he actually was; the way his eyes narrowed at her and the way his jaw was clenched tight. Elena ached to run over and wrap her arms around him to show him everything was okay. For now, she opted for what she could get away with.

With a tiny smile she said,

"Everything is fine, Mr Salvatore."

A smile crept onto his lips for a fraction of a second before it disappeared.

"Then you may take your seat, Elena."

Elena smiled and quickly weaved through the rows of desks, feeling an invisible weight uplift from her shoulders as the whole atmosphere suddenly seemed to change for the better. So much better in fact. It was as she felt on Friday.

Friday. Her stomach ignited with fire as her dark eyes looked over to the shelves where she and Damon had almost kissed. The near touch they experienced was like charges of electricity between them. Unlike anything she'd ever felt before. A delicious shudder of desire embraced her body as she tried to disguise the smirk she desperately wanted to indulge herself in.

Her eyes looked over to Damon - he was thinking the same thing. She knew it and she smirked.

His icy, blue eyes were undressing her as he openly discussed the play with the entire class. It was insanely hot. They were having intense eye-sex with one another and no one else had the slightest clue! Elena daydreamed about their heated make-out session against the door only feet away from them, quickly followed by graphic memories of Damon stripping down to his naked body above her in his bedroom. The sweet spot between her legs began to throb persistently as she remembered how it felt as he moved inside her. This is how she should have been thinking and feeling all weekend. Not worrying about being discovered because of her idiot Uncle taking her phone. This thought, of which, prompted her to take a quick look at it.

With discretion, Elena gently slipped it out of her jean pocket and brought the device to life.

Four missed calls and one new message... from Bonnie Bennett, New Number.

WHY HAVEN'T YOU GOT IN TOUCH? YOU SAID YOU WOULD, REMEMBER? X

Elena looked up to find Damon had spotted her looking at her phone. He'd put himself under an alias. Elena could stand up and do her 'happy dance' right there and then. She quickly punched in;

I'M SO SORRY. GET ME TO STAY AFTER CLASS, I'LL EXPLAIN. X

* * *

><p>The lesson carried on as what Elena considered to be the new norm: ogling her gorgeous teacher and barely concentrating on the play she was suppose to be studying. When the bell sounded through her ears, she couldn't wait just to have five minutes alone with him.<p>

"Uh Miss Gilbert, could you stay behind for a minute to hand in your essay please?"

"We'll save you a seat. Think you can manage _not_ to disappear in that time?" said Bonnie.

Elena rolled her eyes, knowing she'd be having this sarcastic tone from Bonnie for a while.

"Just go. I'll see you soon," Elena said, smiling at her friend as she left.

Elena made sure to take her sweet, sweet time to find her essay while everyone else left the class room. She wanted to be completely alone with him. Just for a minute and it would be worth it. Her stomach flipped as they both just stared at each other with a hungry gaze from across the now empty room. When the door slammed shut, Elena wasted no time in dashing between the desks and jumping into his arms.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" she whispered, squeezing his body as hard as she could, loving the way he responded with as much force. "My Uncle was at home where I got there, he took my phone!"

"Shush, it's alright" he said, quickly pulling her away. Just because the door was shut, didn't mean anyone couldn't just burst in at any time. "It's just a good job I didn't save it under my name."

"We would have been busted if you did," Elena said, feeling more than certain of that. " I've been going out of my mind about it," she added, gazing up into his eyes, wishing she could embrace him again. The need to be touching was so intense. He actually reached out to touch her hair in the comforting manner that she'd already grown to love. He dropped it to his side, and Elena felt lonely being just mere inches in front of him. She needed him. All of him again and she didn't know how much longer she could wait.

"Are you busy after school?" he asked.

"No. But I have my orders to be home on time. I completely broke my Aunt's trust," Elena admitted. Feeling like such a little girl for not having the independence that Damon was more than likely used to having in relationships.

"I can imagine. We both fucked up royally huh?" he smirked, causing Elena to melt a little inside.

"We really did. I just wish I could see you somehow," she said, her voice trailing into a whisper.

"Is that your essay in your hand?" he asked.

It kinda hurt that he didn't say something similar back. It would have made her feel a little better. She nodded and handed it over to him. He took it, and tossed it onto his desk like it didn't mean anything to him.

"Matt _actually_ handed in an essay this week. I have no one for detention this afternoon... lets pretend you completely forgot about yours, hm?"

The way he spoke just oozed sex. Elena could barely stand straight as she nodded dumbly.

With a lop-sided grin, he quickly checked his rolex, "you better get to class."

"Uh, yeah" Elena mumbled, struggling to think straight, "so detention tonight?"

"Yeeep," he said playfully, leaning against his desk, the action causing his muscles to strain underneath his dark, blue shirt.

"Lets hope I don't forget then" she replied flirtatiously as she walked out of the classroom. Feeling one hundred percent better than she did when she first walked in there that morning.

* * *

><p>"Hey Aunt Jenna, I'm gonna be a little late getting home... I know you want me back straight-away but I... Jenna, I promise to be back by dinner. I forgot to hand in an essay and I just need to... okay, thanks, see you later!"<p>

Elena felt like she was actually getting the hang on this whole lying thing as she practically skipped towards her english class. She didn't feel on edge about seeing Damon. It wasn't an impromptu visit with loose ends this time. Everyone knew where she was and Damon would never have suggested it if there was any chance of being caught. They were safe. They had to be.

Elena almost threw the door off its hinges as she entered the block. Excitement rippled through her veins as she hurried down the lonely hallways and passed the empty classrooms. Even the light in her Uncle Johns class was out and the faculty lounge was blackened out and locked. It seemed as though they were alone in the whole building.

She didn't bother knocking and walked right on in to find her lover sat at his desk, busy writing away. She made sure to notice the blinds at the windows were closed. Her body felt heavy with anticipation.

As she began to close the door she heard a slight jingling sound. Her eyes landed on the keys hanging in the door, waiting for her. She made sure to lock it.

He still hadn't looked up as she made her way over, sliding the bag off her shoulders and dropping it to the floor as she sat at the desk directly opposite of his.

"So what's that you're marking? Must be interesting if you haven't even bothered to look at me yet," she said, swinging her legs and leaning forward.

She could see him smirk and he looked up with those azure eyes that were glazed with lust.

"It's your essay," he grinned, handing it over to her.

Elena looked down to find his impeccably neat handwriting at the bottom.

**_Excellent essay, Elena. A+_**

"Ooh so do I get a present for writing such a brilliant essay?" she said, feeling a surge of confidence overtake her body as she jumped to her feet to circle around Damon's desk until she was stood before him.

"Mmm,what kind of present would you like?" he drawled, reaching out to palm her hips and guide her on top of his lap. Elena gasped at the sudden closeness, falling into those toxic blue eyes that stared back at her so... sinfully.

"I would like you," she whispered, curling her fingers around his midnight blue tie, pulling on it until his lips gradually landed on hers.

As soon as she felt his delicious tongue slide into her mouth, all was right in the world as she melted under his touch.

The girl wasted no time in escalating their heated administrations. She hazardously removed his tie and began unbuttoning his shirt. She felt his strong hands grab her hips and he lifted her from his lap. Her world was a blur until she felt her back land on his desk, causing pens and paper to scatter to the floor around them as she felt his hard body lean on top of hers.

"Damon," she breathed, fluttering her eyes closed as she felt his tongue glide down her neck to the contours of her chest. She was lost to everything but the way his body felt on hers. His hands pushed up her t-shirt and bra so his mouth could latch onto her pert, right nipple. It felt incredible and she gasped aloud. His lips quickly met with hers again to quieten her.

"Shush" he breathed, his lips hot and wet against her own, "we have to keep a little quiet, baby."

"Sorry, I'll keep quiet" she said in between kissing him hungrily, even going as far as to arch her hips against his.

"You sure you can keep quiet?" he asked while unbuttoning her jeans.

"I'm sure," she whispered as he glided the material down her legs, pulling off her shoes with them.

"I hope so," he smirked, suddenly dropping to his knees and dragging her body so she was at the very edge of the desk.

"Damon, what are you-" As she leaned on her elbows to look down at him she felt him pepper kisses along her toned stomach. "Mmm..."

Her head fell back, enjoying Damon's warm, soft kisses on her flesh. Her toes curled as his tongue dipped into her navel. It was like he pressed a button there, as a jolt of fire raged to her already heated core. It amazed her how the simplest touch that Damon Salvatore treated to her body made her come undone in an instant.

And then she felt his fingers wrap around the thin waistband of her underwear to gently pull them down her legs. She look down to her lovers face so close between her legs and she blushed, not realizing how close he _actually_ was.

As if he could sense her sudden bashfulness, she felt his body glide back over hers and his hands gently move her own that had partially covered her face. She met those eyes once again, looking down at her like she was the most precious thing in the world.

"Don't ever feel embarrassed in front of me, Elena," he told her. She leaned into the hand that caressed her face. "You're beautiful."

He kissed her once more before resuming his position between her legs, hooking them over his shoulders for support. All the embarrassment of what she was thinking before were now but a distant memory.

She breathed out with pleasure as she felt his soft kisses dance across the inside of her right thigh. He continued to lavish attention there and she soon felt content and hazy... until the tip of his tongue swirled over her clit.

"Damon!" she gasped, almost flying off the desk until his left hand splayed over her tiny stomach to hold her down while she felt him get to work with his amazing tongue. God, it wasn't like anything she'd ever felt. It was another first for her and with each swirl and flicker Damon treated to her sensitive nub she realized it was fast becoming one of her favourite activities.

Then as he slipped a finger into her waiting heat - she was lost.

"Ohh!" she cried, digging her heels into his back and grabbing the ends of the desk with her fingers. He continued to tunnel his finger deep inside her, adding a second while his tongue teased and nibbled her clit to the point where she her body began to shake with an on coming orgasm. "Damon, I.. I'm gonna..."

Suddenly he removed himself from her completely, Elena was about to protest until she saw he was sliding down his boxers with one hand and massaging his rock-hard length with the other. It was the most erotic thing she had ever seen as he leaned over her body, stroking the tip of his cock over her throbbing nub between her legs until she was shaking with need.

She stroked her palms over the plains of his chest, feeling his hands below quickly present a condom from what seemed like thin air. The anticipation was _killing _her and the need for him fuck her senseless was overpowering.

"Enjoying your reward so far?" he whispered hotly against her ear.

She giggled and was about to reply at the exact the moment he chose to thrust hard inside her.

"Yes!" she moaned, answering his question as she gripped onto his back, wrapping her quivering legs around his hips as he rolled them against her over and over again.

"Fuck , Elena' he growled, his voice like music to her ears as he pumped into her harder. It took her everything not to scream the walls down.

"Damon, Damon... oh-Damon!" she chanted, trying her best to maintain the intense eye contact but the pleasure was fast becoming too much. As she was about to cry out, his hand clamped firmly over her mouth so her head was pressed against the table. His forceful actions turned her on all the more as he sent her over the edge into an explosive orgasm, allowing her screams of pleasure to be muffled by his palm.

As she hit the pinacle of her orgasm, she felt Damon thrust hard once, twice until he let out a restrained groan of intense pleasure as he came right along with her.

Elena fluttered open her weary eyes to watch him. God, it was a sight. A sheen of sweat coated his body; emphasizing the toned muscles of his stomach as he slowly breathed in and out. His hair was a wild, unruly mess after her fingers raked and pulled through it with almost each and every thrust. The muscles of his neck contorted beautifully as he threw his head back, slowly sliding in and out of her wet, sensitive opening until he was finally spent. He looked so incredible, and Elena actually felt like she wanted to cry.

He finally found the strength to open his eyes that met with hers instantly. They never ceased to amaze her of how blue they actually were. She reached her hands out to his face, wanting him near her. He lazily kissed the inside of her palm and blanketed his cool, damp body on hers. Her skin tingled as his fingers curled her hair behind her ears, looking down at her with something between a smile and a smirk.

"What are you looking so pleased about?" she asked, thoroughly enjoying their closeness, despite the fact her back was being to ache badly on the hard surface of his desk.

"I just like the fact you're a bit of a screamer."

Elena gasped and playfully slapped him on the shoulder as best as she could.

"I am not!"

"Honey, if you'd have screamed any louder you would've perforated my ear drums" he teased.

"I... I wasn't _that_ loud was I?"

"You weren't far off... I'll have to shut you up like I did more often. You seemed to enjoy that."

Elena laughed and shook her head. He could read her like an open book.

"Cocky, much?"

"_Very,_ much" he said with a seductive grin and the ever present 'eye-thing.' Elena wondered if she'd ever get used to how ridiculously sexy he was.

With reluctance, she watched as he slowly withdrew himself with a slight groan. Even that got the fire in her belly to ignite once again. She had turned from celibate, sad girl to sex goddess in a matter of days... and she loved it.

"Perhaps I should forget my essay every week?" Elena suggested as they both began to get dressed.

"I would agree, if that didn't ring alarm bells for people," he answered. Elena looked to him a little confused. "I mean, you're hardly the type of student to forget an essay to your favourite subject every week now are you?"

"S'pose that's true," Elena sighed, understanding where he was coming from as she laced up her converse. "I just wish we could have some regularity. Or just... I dunno, proper time together?"

"I know exactly what you mean," Damon said, strolling over to where she was sat on the desk and curling his fingers through her hair. She pouted a little, wishing he had the answer...

And then he surprised her with one.

"which is why we need a little vacation."

* * *

><p><em>And so we end on a happy note for a change!<em>

_So what does everyone think? Happy with how the events have turned out? Be sure to let me know by leaving a review. The more I get, the quicker I like to update for you all. _

_Thank you!_

_Anna x_


	13. Chapter 13

_G'day my fellow DE fans,_

_As always thank you for all your reviews. I'm thrilled to bits that so many of your are enjoying this fic. Keep the comments coming!_

_So here we go with Chapter 13. The beginning of my take on what a 'romantic-getaway' should be like in TVD. Which is the complete opposite of the one Stelena had, ha! So considering it's a lil' vacation I hope you'll forgive me for the occasional cheesy moment. It can't be doom and gloom all the time, right?_

_And lets just say... this is the calm before the storm ;-)_

* * *

><p><strong>DAMON'S POV<strong>

"Okay so you have the keys for everything; cabin, shed, speedboat. If you crash my boat I'd prepare to die a horrible death on your return. And deflower my bed, i'd prepare to at least pay for the dry-cleaning. But I'm sure the guest room will suffice unless you're one of those couples who feel the need to Christen every room in the house on arrival."

Damon smirked and took the keys.

"So basically you want us to sit in our rocking chairs on the porch and admire how lovely the sunset is, Ric?"

"Exactly."

"Well tough shit, "Damon said, patting Alaric on the back, "don't worry, i'll take real good care of her."

"You talking about my boat or your mystery chick?"

"Both" Damon winked, reclining back in his chair with a coffee. Alaric laughed and screwed up a ball of paper, aiming for Damon's head but missing him completely.

"So when do I get to meet her?" Alaric asked.

"Never."

"Wow, she's that ugly?"

"More like the most stunning creature on this earth. But we're old college buddies, if you know what I mean."

Alaric gave him a knowing look and Damon smirked into his cup, incredibly pleased with how well his little story had kept up. It was almost too easy for him to organize a weekend away with Elena. His stomach jumped with excitement.

"Well what if I bring Jessica on the last night? We could make a day of it."

"Um..yeah, I know it's your cabin and everything Ric, but I was kinda hoping for some time alone."

"Fair enough," Alaric replied, holding his hands in the air. "Sounds like you're gonna be at it like rabbits."

"Oh I intend to be naked for the entire weekend," Damon said, the moment Isobel chose to wander into the lounge. Her face was like thunder.

"Nice little weekend trip planned with a girl I take it?" she huffed as she wandered over to the coffee machine. Alaric was trying to hide his laughter as best as he could. Damon tossed a pencil at him to shut him up.

"Just an old friend," Damon replied, looking over his shoulder to smile innocently up at the woman who had turned into a living nightmare.

"I'll bet," she spat as she stormed out of the room, coffee sloshing out of her cup and onto the floor.

"Ohh man, she's pathetic" Alaric said, loud enough for her to hear. It was common knowledge that most people disliked the woman. In particular any half-decent looking male teacher who had suffered under her paranoid, obsessive ways.

"Tell me about it," Damon yawned, gulping down his coffee, knowing he'd need the energy for the long drive ahead tonight to the log cabin that Alaric had kindly rented out to him for the weekend at a cheap price. Damon owed him one.

It may not be the kind of vacation he had in mind; which was on a picturesque island with deserted, white sandy beaches and sex under the midnight stars kind of scenario. But a quiet weekend away beside a lake was more than enough time to get to know each other better. That was all that mattered - as well as going undiscovered of course.

They were traveling just outside of Mystic Falls, any father would waste what little time they had together stuck in a car on the highway. It was a quiet place with a few log cabins surrounding the most gorgeous lake Damon had ever seen. Unless Alaric showed him a bogus photograph that is. Regardless, it could be in a tent beside a ditch for all Damon cared. He just wanted... _needed_ time with Elena.

The bell rang for the final two classes of the day. Damon jumped out of his chair, downing the last few dregs of his coffee before leaving the room with Alaric. Not long now until he would finally be hitting the road.

* * *

><p><strong>ELENA'S POV<strong>

"So you promise to call me as soon as you arrive at Meredith's?" Aunt Jenna said, for what must have been the tenth time in the last half an hour.

"I promise," Elena assured her, unclipping her seat belt as her Aunt rolled the car to a stand still outside the train station.

"And if I call you I'd like to think you'll answer, or at least call me as soon as you can. You know i'll be-"

"Jenna calm down," Elena giggled, smiling over to her fretting Aunt beside her, "I'll keep in touch all weekend, don't worry."

"I know, I just - that afternoon a few weeks ago really got me worrying..."

As her Aunt recalled the evening where Elena lied about having time to herself when she was actually busy rolling around naked with her teacher in his bed, Elena struggled to keep the smile on her face. It had taken over a month for her Aunt to allow her to 'spend a weekend with her old school friend Meredith' after breaking her trust with the little disappearing act she did. The poor young woman couldn't be more deceived by her usually incredibly honest niece. Elena hated lying to her - but what other choice did she have?

_What she doesn't know, can't hurt her,_ Elena thought.

"There's no need to worry, I'm with Meredith and we'll be too busy catching up in her bedroom to go out and cause trouble," Elena joked, trying to keep as light-hearted and genuine as possible. Though the more she concentrated on it, the more she felt it was coming across as fake.

Her Aunt smiled and pulled her into a warm hug.

"It's taken a long time for you to gain my trust, Elena. Please don't abuse it."

Elena squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to take in her Aunt's words. It was difficult to digest and even more difficult to stutter out her reply.

"I won't" she managed, quickly patting Jenna on the back and moving away from her with a shaky smile.

"Go on, before you miss your train," Jenna said, taking note of the time on the dashboard.

Elena couldn't climb out of the car fast enough, hauling her bag onto her shoulders and slamming the door shut.

"Take care of yourself. Call me as soon as you arrive and give my love to Meredith!"

Elena could only nod and wave in response, knowing she would certainly be heading in the initial direction to where Meredith had moved to years ago - but not by a train, nor to actually visit Meredith whom she hadn't spoken to in weeks. Her belly flip-flopped knowing Damon would be arriving any minute in his Ford Mustang to drive them both to Dunham Lake for a much needed weekend away together. After many nights talking in whispers on the phone to plan their trip and cover stories, Elena could hardly believe they had pulled it off unscathed.

As her Aunt disappeared around the corner and out of sight, Elena received a text message.

'WILL BE THERE IN 5 MINS, BEAUTIFUL. X'

She couldn't contain the goofy, loved-up smile that she had been desperate to release all week. Finally after weeks of intense sneaking around just to have a five minute conversation with him in person, they were finally going to be able to talk - properly talk about each other and their lives; from what their favourite movie is to what their first kisses were like. All of it would finally be revealed and they could start to feel like a normal couple. The image in her head of walking down the quiet lake-side, with the sun setting on it's horizon and sparkles dancing on the water as she strolled hand in hand with Damon was more than enough to stop her feeling guilty about the mountain of lies she had told people just to spend this time with him.

For the one person who brought her back to life after her parents lost theirs - it was worth it.

The all too familiar blue vehicle came into view and Elena almost jumped on the spot with delight. He swooped the vintage automobile around the corner, looking far too sexy for his own good as he pulled up; elbow resting on the open window and his eyes peeking out over a pair of ray-bans.

"Taxi for Gilbert?" he quipped with a half-smirk.

Elena flashed him a cheeky smile as she quickly walked around the car. She threw her bag into the back and slammed the door behind her; now it was just herself, Damon and the open road to look forward to.

"Ready to go?" he asked her. Elena swooned at the look on his perfectly chiseled face; everything about him just brought her to life.

"More than ready" she replied, snatching the ray-bans from his face and wearing them for herself. "Put the pedal to the metal Salvatore."

"Ooh, you wanna watch that feisty attitude Gilbert, or you'll find yourself walking."

"Like you'd abandon poor little me on the side of the road," she cooed...

"Damn. You're lucky you've got me wrapped around your little finger, Missy" he revved up the engine and Elena felt her stomach bubble with excitement. They were off.

Fifteen minutes later when they were out of Mystic Falls territory, Elena finally felt her body relax against the worn leather of the passenger seat. She didn't spot a single familiar face. It felt odd that their whole trip had been so easy to organize; Aunt Jenna knew she was at Meredith's, Bonnie and Caroline were under the impression she was going on a bereavement course for a couple of nights and no one suspected a thing. As she lolled her head back onto the seat, feeling the warm breeze ghost over her face she looked across to Damon. He noticed her in the corner of his eye which prompted his hand to take hers. She smiled down at their locked fingers, and for some reason it told her that they'd made it and any hardships were worth it just to feel this way.

* * *

><p><strong>DAMON'S POV<strong>

After half an hour on the road and only six songs into Elena's music collection, Damon was ready for slamming his head against the steering wheel.

"So you hate Rihanna, you hate Britney and now you're going to tell me you hate Taylor Swift?"

"Hey, I happen to pride myself on my unflinching ability to listen that Swift Girl," Damon retorted, "do you know how difficult that is?"

Elena giggled uncontrollably in her seat, she even snorted a couple of times, clearly amused at how much her horrid music taste grated on him. And as much as it actually did, it was worth it to see her laugh and joke. He knew it was a rarity for her.

"Maybe you're the one with the bad music taste. You are how old again?"

"Last time I checked I was twenty-eight. Your point being?"

"My point being that you're old and... and weren't The Proclaimers at the height of their career when you were my age or something?"

Damon smirked and shook his head at her terrible joke. But still, she was laughing and he intended to have those endorphins running riot in her body as much as he could for the next two days.

"Oh so you think I'm a Proclaimers fan?"

"I dunno... are you?"

"Oh huge. You want proof?" He raised his eyebrows challengingly and her face suddenly dropped as he snatched her iPod from her fingers. He couldn't help but laugh as he actually found them in her collection under 'Cheese Playlist.' She tried to grabbed it from his vice like grip as the intro to the song began to play. "You asked for it," he said, taping his fingers to the beat on the wheel.

"Noooo, I didn't mean for you to sing it!"

_"When I wake up..."_

"Damon!"

_"yeah I know I'm gonna be..."_

"You don't even sound-"

_"I'm gonna be the man who wakes up-"_

"Scottish!"

_"next to youuu..."_

She buried her head in her hands, embarrassed at how her insanely hot teacher-boyfriend suddenly looked not so hot. It amused Damon to no end as he pouted sexily, tapped his fingers and gyrated his body in his seat.

"You're _**so**_ not sexy right now" she shouted over the music which Damon gradually turned up to drown her out.

"C'mon Elena, you know I'm as cool as a cucumber."

She happened to look the moment he chose to do some naff dance move with his right hand over his shoulder. Like shaking invisible maracas and she couldn't hide the fact she clearly wanted to watch and join in.

_"AND III WOULD WALK FIVE HUNDRED MILES!"_

He shouted louder and louder and she curled further into her seat, hiding the fact she found it hilarious as opposed to mortifying. Damon beeped the horn as he over-took a car with a less than impressed elderly couple in it.

"Damon, don't! You're so... oh my God."

_"BAA-DA-DA-DAAAH!"_

He burst out laughing at how horrified she looked.

"You sorry for practically calling me a miserable old bastard now, huh?"

"Yes I am! Now stop singing."

"Apology accepted... now you got any Wham on this thing? I sound like an _angel_ on any George Michael number..."

* * *

><p>After suffering under the unbearable singing voices of the Glee Cast, thanks to his little singing stunt, Damon was finally turning off the road and onto the woodland track towards Dunham Lake. He couldn't wait to get out of the car, stretch his legs and finally give Elena the kiss he'd been yearning to plant on her from the moment he saw her waiting for him at the station. Then maybe, unless he was sporting a massive erection that needed immediate attention, then maybe they could check out the lake afterwards.<p>

As he carefully rolled the car through the thickening trees the smell of pine, fresh water and all things rustic hit his senses. Moments later the area opened up to reveal the breath-taking expanse of Dunham Lake.

_"Wow,"_ Elena whispered under her breath, her delicate voice causing Damon to shiver.

The sun was setting into a crystal-clear night; a fantastic blur of pinks and purples in the sky reflected onto the still water. It look silent and cold, yet Damon could imagine himself and Elena stripping to their naked bodies, splashing into it and causing some waves between their entwined bodies. He was hard already at the thought.

"This is beautiful" Elena said softly as he pulled up in front of the log cabin that was desperate to be inhabited by them.

Damon looked across to Elena as she gawped at the cabin that now belonged to them for the weekend. The darkening sky made her eyes shine like burning stars. Damon felt his heart swell with how much he felt for this young girl. A happy and sad feeling at the same time. Happy he had found her. Sad at how easily it could be taken away.

"Wanna explore?" he suddenly asked. She nodded like an excitable child that had just arrived at Disney World.

Damon fingered the cabin keys from out of his jeans pocket as he and Elena walked up the creaking, wooden steps to the porch. Within seconds he was opening the door and had switched on the lights.

It was the quint-essential log cabin; old wooden beams across the ceiling, large fire place, a million patterned rugs scattered all over the floor and a jumble of rustic orientated ornaments hung on the wall. Yes, including a deer's head. The downstairs area was open-planned, the kitchen with a gorgeous, old-fashioned stove just waiting to be fired up. Damon couldn't wait to start cooking for Elena while she lounged on the incredibly, comfortable looking couch across from the fire. A perfect image.

"So do you think you'll-"

Damon was cut short by Elena's lips landing on his, almost losing his balance as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He instantly deepened their kiss, raking his hands through her tumbles of dark hair and guiding her backwards until the backs of her knees bumped against the couch and she fell back onto the mounds of cushions.

As her fingers tugged at the white t-shirt that hugged his body, clearly wanting it off, Damon reminded himself how this weekend was just as much about getting to know each other as well as having as much loud, intense and orgasm-induced sex as possible. But hey, this was one way to start their weekend off with a bang. Pun completely intended.

The t-shirt was off and Damon was sick and tired of staring at the baby-pink top that covered her amazing breasts.

"Off," he hissed against her mouth, pulling the pesky material up her stomach until she pushed him off her to remove it herself.

He was about to resume taking control. He had taken the lead each time before, understanding in a respectful, non-patronizing way that she was inexperienced in doing so herself. However he was taken by surprise when her hands pushed against the taut muscles of his chest, continuing to move him backwards until he was laid underneath her. A rush of blood tidal waved to his cock at how sexy she looked when she took control.

Before he could get a word in she was attacking his lips mercilessly, clawing her finger tips down his bare chest until they were tugging at his belt. Whenever a woman had taken control with him in the past, he always had some sort of control over his body. Yet here under Elena's rules, he found himself groaning and even whimpering with pleasure as her tiny hand wrapped around his member with a firm grip.

"Shit," he groaned heavily as her hand pumped his dick harder and faster. Where had this Elena Gilbert come from! It was so good he knew he couldn't hold off blowing his load into her palm unless she stopped. Which she did. Like she had read his mind.

Unable to fully give in to submission, Damon couldn't help being the selfish bastard he knew he was at times and grabbed the back of her neck, pulling her into an intense kiss and grinding his painfully hard member against her lacy underwear. She hummed against his lips, enjoying the friction as much as he did.

As Damon attempted to manoeuvre her so she was underneath his body, he could not have been less prepared for her next move. Clearly offended by his attempts to take control when she had already made it clear she was in charge, Elena roughly shoved him back down and pinned his arms over the arm of the couch, kissing him fiercely until she bit down. Hard. Causing Damon to gasp at the pain, but also undeniable pleasure that coursed through his veins.

"It's _my_ turn to be in charge," she whispered, her mouth moving against his swollen bottom lip as she spoke.

"As you wish," he replied.

She smiled down at him innocently, contradicting the wild cat that was straddling his body a few seconds ago. The Angel quickly transformed into the Devil again as she proceeded to tear away the jeans and boxers from his body. Damon felt like the sacrificial lamb and was loving every submissive second as she stood above his naked body, removing her own clothing until she was as bare as himself.

"Don't keep me waiting," he found himself saying. His hands still gripped the arm of the couch where Elena had put them, when all he wanted to do was cup those beautiful, round breasts that paraded in front of him.

She crawled back on top of his body, very slowly, like she hadn't heard a single word he'd said. It was driving him crazy. But if she wanted him as her puppet, he was more than happy to comply with whatever strings she decided to pull.

Her pebbled nipples brushed against his chest, followed by her breasts pressing down against his cool skin. The feeling was incredible, every sense in his body heightened and the moment he tried to move his hands to explore her glorious body she stopped him. Those entrancing doe eyes bore down into his and he felt helpless under her touch.

"Do you have any idea what you're doing to me?"

A clever smile crept onto her lips as she stroked herself along the length of his shaft.

"I think so," she sniggered.

Suddenly Damon was beginning to see a lot of himself in her actions. A taste of his own medicine. And it was a good one if he could say so himself.

"Mmm, just you wait until it's my turn to- Oh Holy Fuck!"

She slowly impaled herself on his cock, tilting her head back with pleasure as she began to bounce at an unbearably slow, yet deliciously amazing pace. Damon watched, fascinated and completely awe-struck at the gorgeous girl that used his body for her own pleasure. He was hers for the taking. Damon gripped the couch arm harder, desperate to move his right hand between her legs and circle her clit with his thumb while she continued to fuck him. But he was well aware he was under strict orders and kept his hands in place.

The moment the tell-tale build up began to rush through his loins Elena slowed down her movements. Damon cursed under his breath as she made herself comfortable on his length until he was complete buried inside her tight sheath. Then she rolled back and forth, her face contorted with pleasure and hands gripping the top of his thighs behind her. Damon couldn't lay idly by any longer.

"Mmm, Damon..." she purred.

Clearly lost in her own world, Damon took advantage of her terrible management duties and went against her orders, removing his hands from the arm rest and grabbing her hips, forcibly rocking her back and forth harder and faster, making sure her sensitive nub brushed against his pubic bone for added friction. She was now screaming, her hands in her hair as she allowed him to take over underneath her.

"Oh sssshit," Damon hissed, feeling him getting closer and closer.

"Damon I'm... I'm clo-oh!"

"That's it, 'Lena" he moaned, watching her begin to shudder as he grounded her harder against him. The sweat slick between their humming bodies. "Come for me."

She clamped down on his cock, almost sending himself over the edge with her but he made sure to hold off - he was more than aware they had forgotten to use protection.

"Damon!" she screamed, so loudly he feared she'd woken the entire population of the woodlands animals. As her intense orgasm continued to crash over her, Damon couldn't hold it off a second longer.

"Ohhi'mgonnacome,"

He quickly slipped out of her dripping core to jack himself off into his hand. _Just_ in time. It was hardly ideal and certainly not preferred. He wanted bury himself deep to the hilt until she milked him dry. But that was one risk he was not willing to take.

As Elena rested and cooled against his body, Damon discreetly grabbed for the box of tissues he'd spotted on the table behind him at the side of the couch.

"That was amazing," she whispered, nestling herself against his body.

"_You_ were amazing," Damon said, regaining his breath as his mind already replayed the images of her fucking him hard. He could quite easily give himself a few more minutes and go for round two. But he decided against it. _Now_ it was time to get to know each other. Sex again later. Yeah, that sounded really good.

She shakily rested on her elbow to look into his eyes. Damon stroked a hand through her damp hair, loving the way she stared up at him like... well... like she could actually love him.

"Shall we get to know each other a little bit now?" she asked. Damon chuckled pulling her in for a soft, warm kiss.

"Yeah, if we must."

Her hand playfully batted him on the chest as she crawled away from the side of his body to stand up. Damon missed her warmth instantly.

"I'm gonna call my Aunt."

"Good thinking," Damon said, pleased she'd reminded herself because he'd completely forgotten. "I'll go get our stuff."

He jumped off the couch and sauntered over to the door that was still open from their impulsive need to have sex on the couch. From behind him he heard her gasp.

"Put some clothes on if you're going outside!" she shrieked.

Damon smirked over his shoulder,

"Why? Worried a bunch of Squirrel chicks are gonna ogle my nuts?"

"Oh har har," she sneered as she picked up her lacy underwear.

"Well I dunno about you, Miss Gilbert. But I think it would be pretty pointless to be wearing clothes at all this weekend. They'd just get in the way."

Before she could gasp and express her horror at his crude little ways, Damon in all his glory escaped to the car to collect their bags.

As he opened the door to his car he sneaked a peak back into the cabin. Elena was busy chatting on the phone, still completely naked with her underwear all but forgotten about on the wooden floorboards.

Damon smirked. This was going to be one Hell of a weekend.

* * *

><p><em>And so begins their little vacation - what do you think!<em>

_I'll break the news to you all gently that I probably won't be able to post any new chapters for the next 3/4 weeks. I'm beginning a new publishing internship in London and will be without my computer during that time. However I'm desperate to get the next chapter out there before I go - it's gonna be a long one, with one heck of a cliffhanger to keep you on your toes until I can come back with Chapter 15. So if in the next day or so I get plenty of reviews, I'll have Chapter 14 up for you as soon as possible._

_So please - get your reviews in. I love to read them :-)_

_Anna x_


	14. Chapter 14

_Hello to all you wonderful people out there!_

_Do you know how amazing you guys are? No seriously, you are! Thank you YET AGAIN for all of your reviews. I love reading each and every one of them and to hear your thoughts is just brilliant. As promised if I was rewarded with your reviews, I would reward you with a chapter before I leave. And here it is!_

_However due to running around like a blue arsed fly trying to sort things out for when I move, I wasn't able to finish this chapter to where I wanted it to be. Which was the cliffhanger - a pretty big one at that. It's the part I am most excited to write about and I didn't want to rush an average version of it. You guys deserve only the best from me, so I hope you'll be able to hang on for it. You'll love to hate it. That's a promise ;-)_

_Anyway, on with the romantic getaway (aka, how it should have been - not reading journals and inspecting a hollow wall whilst making out with your girlfriend *cough*STEFAN*cough*)_

* * *

><p><strong>ELENA'S POV<strong>

The gentle sound of the bulrushes blowing in the wind and the singing of crickets were all that Elena could hear. The sky that melted from black to blue, dotted with bright stars was all Elena could see. The tips of her toes dipping into the still water at the end of the jetty, and Damon's heartbeat from where she laid against his chest was all she could feel. Everything about this moment was perfect. And she knew she'd remember it forever.

"Favourite book," he drawled from above. Elena smiled.

"Would it be cheesy of me if I told you it was Hamlet?"

"Nope. But technically Hamlet is not a book, it's a play. I'd get that one right before you sit your exams, honey."

Elena swirled her foot in the water to kick his shin, "smartass. So what's your favourite read?"

"Gone with the Wind."

Elena tweaked her eyebrows. She wasn't expecting that one at all.

"A little girly isn't it?" she said, turning to watch her fingertips trace patterns along his bare stomach.

"I guess it is. It was my mom's favourite, she would read it once or twice a year."

"Wow," Elena found herself saying, feeling her heart beat a little faster at the mentioning of his mother. There was a silent understanding between them when it came to the loss of a loved one and Elena felt that the day he took her hand before class and he told her knew her pain. That he 'got it' and she believed him. "It really is her favourite if she reads it over and over" she finished, not sure what to feel about using the present tense. As much as the arrows pointed in that direction, Elena still wasn't certain whether his mother had indeed passed away.

"Yeah, it was."

That was that then. Elena smiled sadly and chose not to say anything else. She hated it when people would try to make her open up about the loss of her parents, as though it would do her good to chat about them. Yet it only felt right if she brought them up herself. She assumed Damon felt the same way.

"First love," Elena said, rolling over to rest her upper body on his chest so she could look into his eyes. They seemed to glow a magnificent blue in the darkness. Clashing brilliantly with his unruly black hair and pale skin. Elena couldn't believe she was so lucky, and thought that if any woman was able to walk away from this man, then they must be insane.

"First love?" he repeated. Elena nodded, suddenly feeling a little nervous about his answer. He looked to her face, then back to the sky. "His name was Paul."

Elena felt her jaw drop but began to laugh, "yeah, very funny Damon."

"I'm being serious, Elena" he said sternly. There wasn't a flicker of amusement in his face or voice. A horrible feeling curdled inside Elena's stomach.

"Oh... so that means you're a bise-"

He suddenly burst out laughing, frightening Elena half to death. She slapped him hard on the chest and abruptly sat up.

"You're suck a dick!"

"I know," he said, sounding far too amused with himself. He was almost crying with laughter and Elena felt like there was only one thing for it.

"Damon, there's something in the water!"

"Where!"

As he sat up to investigate, Elena shoved him over into the lake. He screamed like a little girl at the surprise and was silenced at he went completely under the surface. Damon + being pushed into the water = Elena wishing she had caught his girly shrieking on camera.

"You're in the water that's what," she shouted while trying to breathe, laughing so hard that it hurt.

Finally he surfaced, shaking the water out of his hair and chattering his teeth.

"Fuck me, this is cold!" he shivered.

"Serves you right" she said, standing with her arms folded, watching as he treaded water.

"Oh yeah?"

Before she could reply, with a wiggle of his eyebrows he slapped his arm against the water so it created a giant wave to go hurdling right over her. Elena shrieked at how cold the water was, beginning to shiver as she stood there, arms wide at her sides and mouth agape, staring at him as if to say _'look what you just did!'_

He splashed her again and a second time for good measure. Elena, caught off guard on his second attack tripped backwards on her heel and went toppling backwards into the water on the other side of the jetty. Her attempts to walk away victorious, all but fell into the water with her.

Damon Salvatore was _**so**_ in for it.

She surfaced with a gasp, cough and a splutter. Knowing it was probably the least sexiest way she could have possibly gone about it.

"What the!"

Her stomach jumped as a pair of hands encircled her body from behind, pulling her through the water to rest back against his chest and body.

"Why can I never get the upper hand with you?" she said, rubbing the water droplets from out of her eyes.

"Didn't look like I had the upper hand when you were slapping me around on the sofa earlier," Damon teased, resting his head at the side of hers and nipping her neck with his teeth. Elena giggled, turning her head as best as she could to look at him. Her breath hitched in her throat at his cerulean blue eyes.

"Who was it?" she asked. He cocked his head, clearly confused.

"Who was who?"

"Your first love?" she whispered, twisting her body in the transparent water to face her lover properly.

"She was someone I met at college," he began, moving Elena's soft, supple thighs so they settled around his hips. Elena rested snug against his body, ready to listen as she played with the wet hair at the nape of his neck. "Her name was Katherine. She was smart, seductive, although she could be a little selfish and unkind at times, it didn't change the way I felt about her. We fell for each other instantly."

As much as she wanted to know, Elena cursed herself mentally for feeling the inevitable slither of jealously, as does everyone when someone they love talks about someone they used to be in love with. However as he ever so gently used his thumb to brush away the pearly, droplets of water from her cheek, Elena realized she was more jealous of the fact this Katherine girl was the same age as him... and she was so young.

"What happened?" she asked, her voice a little dry from her lack of talking. Damon shrugged,

"She met someone else. Never met the guy, but apparently he was quite the looker"

"Over you?" Elena gasped, "That's impossible. How could she leave someone as handsome as you?"

"Beats me. What with my good looks, style and charm, not to mention my modesty" he said, treating her to that delicious eye-thing and wicked smile.

"Oh of course," Elena nodded, feeling her body melt against his the longer he kept up that devilish grin.

"And what about you, Miss Gilbert?" he asked, moving them both smoothly through the water as he made his way back to the jetty.

Elena looked down between their bodies, watching them morph into a blur under the water as they moved. The obvious answer was Stefan, but she felt like her sad, teenage romance would just sound ridiculous to Damon. But still, he revealed his and this was meant to be a time to explore each others past.

"It was Stefan."

"Ah, I thought so."

"W-what do you mean?" Elena asked, worried he might be thinking she was still involved with him or something.

"Well I've seen the way he looks at you. Clearly you broke the guys' heart."

Elena rolled her eyes, "is it that obvious? Everyone apart from my close friends think I'm a total bitch for it."

"They will do. You're the heartless girlfriend who doesn't care about him to them. If they don't matter to you, don't let what they think matter either."

"I won't" she smiled, suddenly shivering in his arms as a blustery wind picked up around them.

"Lets get you inside," he said, and with that he lifted her out of the water and carefully back onto the wooden jetty beside them. Elena visibly began to shake, standing up in her soaking wet bra and hotpants while she waited for Damon to surface.

Huddled close together, the shivering couple scurried along the cool grass and back up the porch into their cabin. The warmth that blanketed Elena's body as she entered was perfection. She watched Damon slide by her, his body still damp with a sheen of water as he made his way to the bedroom to quickly return with two black, fluffy towels in his hands. Elena still felt like she had to pinch herself that this was all really happening. That they were here, together, just simply enjoying one another's company.

She smiled her thanks and wrapped the towel around her body. While Damon did the usual man routine of rubbing the towel frantically all over his body and ruffling it through his hair.

"Glass of wine, Miss Gilbert?" he asked with his trademark grin playing on his lips.

"But.. but i'm not-"

"Oh come on, Elena" he said with exasperation as he strolled across to the kitchen. "With what we're actually doing, do you really think I'm gonna raise an eyebrow if you have a little alcohol?"

As much as what he said was true, his tone of voice made her feel like a child.

"Well I apologize for the fact I'm rarely offered alcohol considering I'm underage," she scalded as he slammed the refrigerator door.

"Alright, fair enough" he said, twisting the cork in the bottle until a satisfying 'pop' echoed around the room. "Would you like to have a glass or not?"

Elena saw in his body language that she had delivered him the same blow that he had done to her. Rubbing in their differences of age and lifestyle. As mature as she was, Elena was still only sixteen and from the moment she met Damon she loathed it and longed to be just a couple of years older. He was a twenty-something year old man and had experienced all the things she was yet to do; graduate, go to college, have a long-term relationship, travel, live independently, begin a career - the list seemed endless. Tears suddenly merged in her eyes and she flopped down on the couch they had made love on only hours before. She curled the towel tighter around herself, trying desperately not to cry as she heard Damon fill up two glasses with white wine.

As a tear escaped down her cheek a glass filled to the brim was hovering in front of her. She took it silently and smelled it before taking a sip. She grimaced at the zesty taste that became bitter on her tongue. She was well aware this whole time that Damon was watching from beside her.

"Penny for your thoughts," he asked after a few more moments.

Elena looked over to him, trying NOT to stare at his toned body as he rested back against the couch, watching intently as he waited for her to reply. She felt there was no time like the present to discuss their 'situation.'

"Does it bother you?" she asked quietly, almost afraid to ask.

"Does what bother me?"

"How..." she trailed off, looking away to watch her fingertip swirl around the rim of her wine glass "... how old I am. Does it bother you?"

"Well if it really bothered me, I wouldn't be hear right now would I?"

"So it does?" Elena said to clarify, watching him take a massive gulp of wine, almost polishing it all off.

"Of course it does" he said, his words hitting Elena like shards of ice. He must have sensed that, as he coaxed her backwards into his waiting arms. Elena more than happily settled at his side, looking up into those eyes that were just simply magical... for the lack of a better word in her head at that time. She took a sip of her wine herself, also feeling like she needed it to continue their conversation. He took a deep breath, looking away for a second as if he were struggling to chose the right words. "Your age and the fact I am your teacher does nothing to change the way I feel about you. But it still doesn't stop that niggling voice in the back of my brain that tells me every time I touch you I could be thrown behind bars for it."

Elena suddenly saw his barriers drop for a fleeting second and she saw a world of worry floating around in those intense, blue eyes. A nervous smile twitched at his lips and he quickly finished off his wine, plonking the glass on the coffee table in front of them. When they spoke of the dangers their relationship held when they first made love in his apartment, Elena understood how serious it was. Yet now, on a romantic weekend away with a huge web of lies spinning around them, it suddenly hit home and it felt painful in her chest.

"Damon," she whispered, trying to get him to look away from the embers of the fire from across the cabin to look at her. "Damon,"

"Hm?" he said, looking at her and pretending as though he hadn't heard the first time. Elena knew he did.

"If ever you decide that... that being with me is not worth it, you know i'll understand if you choose to walk away."

The words were painful to say and Damon looked deeply offended.

"I would never do that," he said harshly, leaning over and curling his fingers across her cheek. The barely-there touch made her shudder, his fingertips feeling like silk across her skin. "You're always going to be worth it, Elena. If the going gets tough then we ride it out. It's that simple."

"But what if something happens, what if we get caught?"

"Then we get caught."

"What if you go to court and they find you guilty!"

"Then I go to court and they find me guilty, Elena."

Elena felt the tears fall and she couldn't look at him a second longer. She untangled herself from his limbs and left to go upstairs to their room. She wasn't mad with him, she just couldn't bare to look at his face anymore when she knew how much he was risking to simply be with her. As she sat herself down in front of the dressing table, staring into the mirror in the dim light, she wondered what made her so worth the risk. A teenage girl with not a great deal to show for herself other than a cheerleading trophy. As she yanked a few tissues out from the box in front of her, she began to wonder if it was actually fair to let Damon Salvatore risk **EVERYTHING** in his life for her.

A shadow stood in front of the door way as she wiped away the tears. Before she could stop her bottom lip from quivering to talk, Damon had snaked onto the stool behind her, pulling her back to sit snug between his legs. Elena tearfully met his eyes in the mirror, then watched as his strong arms cradled her around her stomach.

"We're either in this together Elena, or we're already fighting a losing battle" he explained, his breath hot against her slender neck.

"But what if we do lose?" she said, staring into the mirror at him, trying not to come undone at the intensity of his stare and the way his arms flexed as they held her body close. "What if it all goes wrong? It doesn't seem fair that you'll get all the blame and i'll just be able to walk away."

"Life isn't fair sometimes. We both know that" he said softly.

Elena look back up to his face, the act vividly reminding her of their closeness when she tried to reach the bookshelf she needed in class. Except this time she didn't give a second thought about kissing him, enjoying the way his soft lips moved against her own.

"I can't lose you," she said breathlessly against his lips, moving to rest her forehead against his chin, silently wishing for everything to turn out for the best for them.

As she felt his arms tighten around her tiny body, she smiled.

"You won't."

* * *

><p><strong>DAMON'S POV<strong>

"C'mon you shit, piece of shit boat."

Damon had completed all the required checks Alaric told him to do to get the speedboat 'running like a dream,' yet it as much as Damon twisted the keys into the ignition, it was dead.

"Damn it!" he hissed, feeling so close to throwing them as far as he could into the water.

He hoped, after the intense conversation he and Elena delved into last night, that knocking out some waves in Alaric's boat would be a great way blow off some steam. As Damon twisted the keys yet again to here nothing but a little 'clicking' sound, he hoped Elena would be happy renting out a paddle-boat for the day.

Or maybe they could finish where they left off with the lazy yet incredibly mind-blowing morning sex they had earlier.

"Having trouble, Salvatore?"

Damon looked up to find Elena wandering over in the tightest denim shorts and black crop-top. Although simple, the outfit showed off each and every curve of her body amazingly. As she drew closer and closer along the jetty, he found he was getting harder with each of her steps.

"Nothing I can't handle, Miss Gilbert" he said, realizing it took him several seconds to even answer her, too mesmerized by her gorgeous body that she'd cruelly put on display for him. Yep, if he actually got this bucket working he'd definitely be crashing into a rock... or two.

She tossed her beach bag into the boat and Damon stepped over to help her in.

"Whoa!" she giggled, trying to get her sea legs as the boat bobbed back and forth a little upon her entry. "This is pretty cool!"

While she busied herself with testing out the passenger seats at the back, Damon hastily tried the keys once again. Nothing.

"You can't get it working can you?" she quipped.

Damon responded with forced laughter, taken back a little when he turned to see her sprawled along the seats, arms resting at the sides and looking at him through her shades. Damon wondered if the permanent erection he seemed to have would be doing more harm than good!

"How about you Little Miss Perfect, any good with speedboats?"

He dangled the keys in front of her. She stood up and picked them out from his pinched fingertips. After trying the key she must have noticed Damon using, she opted for... oh yeah, another key that was on the chain.

The engine fired up instantly.

And boy did she look pleased with herself.

"Y'know how there's more than one key on this chain, sweetie?"

The little minx decided to pat him condescendingly on the cheek. Damon smirked and bugged his eyes out at her.

"Keep that up and you'll be thrown over board, Missy..."

* * *

><p>Damon had decided after approximately thirty seconds on the water, that he was going to purchase a speedboat as soon as they got home.<p>

They had been out on the water for only a matter of minutes and Damon had already got the pair of them soaked. Elena had her arms wrapped tightly around his waist, laughing and screaming with delight into his ear, wanting to be as close as she possibly could to him. He was probably going a little too fast, but considering no one else was out on the water yet, the lake belonged to them. The further out into the lake they got, the waters actually seemed to be a little rough, as though they were out at sea. Feeling confident, Damon had no problem hitting the waves at a top speed and slowing down at the stop, making sure the boat dropped and hit the water with an almighty splash.

"OhmyGodDamonwe'regonnadiiiiiieeeeeeeee!"

Her screaming only got him going more, and he treated her to several other waves before finally deciding to slow down and have a break. As the engine cooled into a heavy thrumming sound, Damon wiped away the tears in his eyes from the sharp winds and ruffled a hand through his wet hair. He caught Elena sitting in the passenger seat, taking off her life jacket and arching her body backwards to do it. The simplest movements she made were like a bolt of lightening straight to his cock. He had to look away before he unleashed his animalistic side to take her right there and then.

"Now _that _was fun," he suddenly announced, surveying the spray of waves that he'd created on the water that were still there.

"It was brilliant. How can no one be out here on their boats already? They're insane!"

Damon ears pricked up at her words. With a quick look around... well whadd'ya know... they were indeed, still alone after all.

"Nah, I'm kinda hoping they'll stay tucked up in their beds a little longer."

"Why do you say... oh no, Damon."

He smirked down at her as she looked back up with disbelief. He adored how innocent she was, because he knew each time she divulged into new territory with him, she would always come back wanting more. The look of shock in her eyes soon faded, and Damon could tell the cogs were working in her head, and she was imagining doing all kinds of things to him in the middle of this lake.

As her pretty little mouth opened up to protest once again he got to his knees so he was level with her. A breath hitched at the back of her throat before she quickly looked around the boat. They were right in the middle of the lake, bobbing along on their own and would appear as a tiny dot to anyone in the distance on the shore.

"C'mon Elena..." he drawled, stroking his hands up her soaking wet thighs.

"What if we get caught?" she hissed. Damon raised his eyebrows cheekily, knowing it would get her going.

"That's the whole fun of it," he said, never taking his eyes from hers as he flicked open the button of her shorts.

He dragged the sopping wet material down her legs before he gave her a chance to answer. She even motioned down so she was able to give him better access. Her body was telling him to go on while that silly little conscience was talking jibberish out of her mouth. Silently, he dared her to talk again.

"Yeah, but what if..."

Damon thrust a finger up inside her, cutting her empty words off into a gasp as she dropped her head backwards, falling into a world of pleasure as he slowly moved his finger back out of her hot, wet passage.

"Tell me to stop now," he taunted, adding a second finger and picking up a steady motion inside her warm sheath. He couldn't bite back the groan that escaped his lips as she began to move down on his hand, vividly imagining it was his dick she was sliding on.

"Do it harder," she ordered through clenched teeth, sitting up to actually _watch_ him fuck her with his fingers. Damon was more than happy to comply.

"Harder?" he echoed, adding a third digit that elicited the most sexual moan from her lips. She blinked up to look at him, unable to continue watching with how intense his administrations were. Damon slowly shook his head, and forcefully whispered the word, "watch."

Her dark eyes, glazed with lust flickered back down to his moving fingers. The vision, as it was for him alone, was such a turn on it was almost like a hard slap around the face. Elena began moaning uncontrollably, struggling to keep eye contact with those talented fingers of his that coiled upwards to massage her g-spot. She threw her head back, which prompted Damon to use his free hand to move her head to make her watch again.

"Oh God Damon, it's too much..."

To him it was like an invitation to start his next move.

"Don't you dare take your eyes off me," he demanded.

Using his left hand to usher her skimpy, black bikini bottoms aside further, Damon continued to slowly rub his three, slick fingers inside her. Then making sure she watching still watching him, he treated her swollen clit to several soft, wet swirls of his tongue.

"Damon, ss-sstop!"

He looked up, she was still watching like a good girl. He intensified the pressure of his tongue and quickened his fingers, close to sending her over the edge.

"Damon stop!" she screamed.

Her tone sounded her like she actually wanted him to stop, so he did. With a frown he retracted from her body, about to ask what was wrong until she stood up and completely stripped herself of all her swim wear.

Damon was like a moth to a flame at his surfer shorts, slipping a condom out of his pocket and practically ripping them from his body to spring his cock free. She lunged for him, but Damon was insistent on leading the way this time. He guided her backwards back to her place on the seats, but gently guided her around she was on her knees, facing away from him.

"Damon?" she whispered, a little apprehension in her husky voice. Damon was under no false pretense that she'd had sex in this position before and if she wasn't comfortable with it, he would never pressure her. It was natural for one to feel a little over-exposed in such a position and in broad daylight he would completely understand. Despite the fact he was dying to take her this way, right here, right now.

"Do you trust me?" he whispered, leaning over her back while smoothing his hands ver the back of her thighs to the curves of her behind. She was humming under this touch.

"I trust you, but it's just..."

"Just what, baby?" he whispered, urging her to continue as he was about to move from her back. Her hand reached back to stop him, causing him to move back to where he was.

"It's just the eyes of others I don't trust," she giggled. Damon smirked, quickly looking around to make sure there weren't any wandering eyes that he could notice. When he saw they were alone, he widened her legs apart.

"I think we're safe," he chuckled, both of them gasping the second his length brushed along her wet slit.

"Take me, Damon" she breathed, her big, brown eyes looking up at him over her shoulder.

Her words melted through him. The way she looked at him just made him feel... incredible.

And he did exactly as she asked. He carefully guided his length between her soft, swollen folds. In this position he was able to penetrate her deeper than he had ever done before, and he couldn't hold back the deep, guttural moan as she fluttered around him, adjusting to his size. She was panting breathlessly and he had barely moved. She was close anyway due to his intense oral work, and now she was just desperate for release.

And as he could feel the morning sun getting hotter on his bare back, it was like a warning that people in their droves would be coming out to enjoy it anytime now. After a few slow, steady thrusts, Damon leaned up onto his knees and picked up the pace until the sound of flesh slapping flesh clashed with the waves lapping around them.

"I'm already close!" she breathed, arching her body so her cascade of brunette locks splayed over her back and onto Damon's fingers from where he gripped her hips tight, drilling himself into her.

It wasn't long until she met her release, clamping around him and sending him over the edge with her. He came hard, fast and it took every ounce of strength in his body to keep from collapsing onto Elena's back.

The distant sound of a boat motor trying to spring to life automatically dragged Damon out of his orgasmic bliss to suggest they both quickly get dressed.

"Do you mind if we take the boat ride steady on the way back? I gotta admit, I'm a little shaky right now," Damon said, slumping down in the drivers seat and toggling with the keys.

A pair of tiny, soft hands rubbed at his shoulders, almost like a massage and it made him purr like a spoilt kitten.

"I'm sure I can live with that," she replied, placing a soft kiss on his cheek.

Damon smiled, not a smirk, but a genuine smile at her simple display of affection. He slowly began to ride the boat back to shore with Elena curled up behind him, her delicate arms hanging loosely around his waist as she placed feather light kisses upon his shoulder. When she rested her head against his back, he could feel her smiling against his warm skin.

It was there, right there that Damon realized all the times in the past when ever told a girl he loved her, he didn't really know what love meant. With Elena it was something else entirely and the thought of ever continuing to live his life without her know was unbearable. She filled that void that he thought was normal, not even Katherine touched upon filling that big, empty space inside.

If worse came to worse and Damon was thrown behind bars for who knows how many years, he knew that wouldn't destroy him. But if he came out on the other side and Elena wasn't there - then that probably would.

"What're you thinking about?" she asked as the cabin came back into view.

"I was just thinking..." he looked over his shoulder to see her cute, little face twinkling up at him; the sunshine kissed her beautiful olive skin and her hair was a tumble of thick waves dancing in the cool breeze. He couldn't tell her what he was thinking, it was a little too deep. He smiled as best as he could, his sensitive eyes stinging in the sunshine that beat down upon them. "... thinking about lunch."

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><p><em>And so ends chapter 14!<em>

_And so brings me to ask the question - did you enjoy it? Please pop in a review to let me know!_

_As soon as I am able to update Love Lessons again I will. I'm so excited with the chapters to come, they're going to be pretty intense. I'll also be mulling over as to how I am going to end this. The happy ending, or the not so happy ending - that is the question._

_Anna x_


	15. Chapter 15

_Surprise!_

_So I said it was gonna be another 3 weeks until I was able to update. However I could NOT wait that long to get another chapter out. So despite the fact I'm getting up at 6am, tackling the London Underground at rush hour and running around with dummy books to and fro between editorial and publicity departments until 18:30, I managed to squeeze this out over a couple of evenings!_

_Once again, thank you so, so much for all of your reviews. They mean so much and it's a joy to see people are enjoying my writing. A feeling that only us writers can appreciate as I'm sure you all know. So thank you!_

_And because it look quite a bit to write this, what with falling asleep at the keyboard and all... it'd be just AMAZING if I got plenty of reviews for this. Oh and please forgive any typos :-)_

_I have a feeling you're either gonna love me or hate me for Chapter 15... enjoy..._

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><p><strong>ELENA'S POV<strong>

Elena felt a twang of sadness at pinch her heart at the thought of leaving in the morning. Time had ticked by way too fast.

It was already late Saturday night, and they were leaving almost first thing in the morning. Elena wished they could stay at least one more night. There was still so much to talk about, so much to do and even though they'd been inseparable throughout the entire time they'd been there, it was still like they hadn't had enough time to rip each others clothes off and have sex against the most suitable piece of furniture. But another night was just out of the question. Oh the alarm bells that would ring if they were both absent from english class on Monday morning.

Eugh, and the thought of having to address him as 'Mr Salvatore' was just awful. The thought of sitting at her rickety desk and hearing him talk to her like she was any old student made her feel a little ill. It would be like nothing between them had existed and it was all a dream. It was going to be so difficult, and as much as it was at the forefront of her mind, Elena was determined to push it back so she could enjoy her last few hours alone in Damon's company.

"Mmm that smells really good," Elena hummed, enjoying the savory aromas that floated through the cabin from the kitchen. She peeped her eyes over the top of the couch to see her lover, now unfortunately dressed in a black t-shirt and sweats, cooking up a storm in the kitchen.

"Oh I can promise you it'll taste _so_ much better," Damon said, looking up from slicing a pepper with a confident smirk.

"Well anything home-cooked will taste better than the store bought meals that Aunt Jenna microwaves every night," Elena giggled, but only briefly, "my mom was the most amazing cook."

"Oh yeah? What was her signature dish?"

Elena smiled and rested her chin on top of the couch. She loved that she could mention her parents to someone without them having to either delve into how she's feeling, their condolences or avoiding the matter completely. Only Damon could make her want to talk about it.

"Chicken Parmesan. It's an easy dish to make, but she did it like no other" Elena said, remembering how it tasted vividly.

"Well how about next time we manage to escape Mystic Falls i'll cook you up an average version of it, hm?"

Her heart fluttered at the thought of there being a next time. She nodded eagerly, despite the fact he was busy plating up the gorgeous smelling food he'd cooked to notice her.

"Sounds good to me," she smiled, moving from between the fuzzy blanket she'd wrapped herself in to go and help him.

"Nu uh. You sit yourself down at the table. This is your treat," he said as she wandered beside him. God that smile of his. It made her come over all unnecessary each and every time. A part of her just wanted to forget dinner and jump straight into bed with him.

She complied with his requests and sat over at the small table in the corner by the window. The thick, succulent tuna steak on a bed of amazing smelling stir fry was simply mouth-watering as he placed it in front of her. Elena had to check she wasn't drooling.

Before she could say her thanks, he pop open a bottle of wine and filled her glass with a generous amount.

"Would a toast be a little too much right now?" he joked.

"Definitely not," Elena said, picking up a her glass and raising it. He followed suit. "A toast to the most amazing weekend ever, and to the most amazing boyfriend who I lov-..." Elena almost slapped her free hand over her mouth with how carried away she was getting. It was clearly obvious what she was going to say, and she could see it in his face. Her cheeks blushed violently... " who I love that.. he.. cooks the most amazing food" she finished. She wasn't fooling either of them.

When she felt the blush slowly fade away she looked up to Damon. He smiled softly and clinked their glasses. Never taking his eyes off her while they drank, unknowingly to Elena as she stared at the table through her glass.

As they tucked in, Elena found herself humming with every mouthful. She'd never had a tune steak before and she marveled at how sweet and tasty it was.

"I take it you like it" she heard him say, looking pleased with himself as she slurped up a noodle from the stir fry. She didn't really care if she looked like a pig in a troff, it was just too good.

"Mhm," she said through a muffled hand, "Is this your signature dish?"

"Indeed it is. Our housekeeper when I was a kid cooked it every friday night without fail."

"Wow, you had a housekeeper?" Elena said, loving to hear more about Damon's past, "were your parents really busy when you were little?"

She looked up from her knife and fork to find him shaking his head whilst pouring himself more wine. "My father was. He was the head of a construction business that made a massive turnover each year. He was always out on business, or that was the excuse he liked to convince my mother with anyway. So it was just myself and her most of the time."

"Oh, so were you that much of a tiny tearaway that your mom needed a housekeeper?" Elena giggled, though when she looked up to his face she automatically stopped. He was staring blankly at the table, like he'd gone somewhere else for a minute and all the life had been drained out of him. Elena swallowed the heavy lump of food in her mouth. "Damon are you okay?"

He suddenly sprung back to life, as though he had an 'on/off' switch and someone had flicked it back on again.

"Yeah, yeah I am. Sorry, I'm turning dinner into a depressing subject" he said, resuming his attention back to his food.

Elena frowned and put her knife and fork down to take his hand.

"You're not turning it into anything, Damon. We're just talking," she assured him.

"I know, but I'm sure the last thing you want us to talk about on our last evening is sad and dreary stuff" he smirked, squeezing her hand before letting it go.

"Not at all. I like hearing more about you. The good and the bad," she said.

"Well I don't necessarily have the most joyful of stories to tell when it comes to my parents. Especially my father." he said, though saying the last three words through partially clenched teeth.

"Well you always speak fondly of your mom... did you look like her?" Elena said, not entirely sure why she felt the need to ask if he looked like her or not, but something niggled in her to do so. Maybe just to make it a little easier for him. She didn't want to perch herself on a pedistal, but Elena had a sneaky feeling this was the first time Damon was about to tell someone of his less than easy childhood.

"I was the double of her. So yeah, she was quite the looker," he joked. Elena rolled her eyes as she sipped her wine.

"And what about that cocky attitude of yours?"

"Unfortunately, that's all my father. Which is quite odd, considering I saw the mail man more than him. He was pretty cold, callous, a very difficult man to warm up to, especially at a young age when he rarely made an appearance, but when he did, would expect me to be at beck and call to his every need."

"Well thank goodness you didn't inherit his callousness."

He smirked at her comment, "whenever he was being a dick, my mother would take me aside and ask that I not turn out like him. And I always listened to my mother."

They shared a warm smile and it all felt silent for a moment. Elena twisted her fork around a few stray noodles before putting it down to ask the question that had been toying back and forth in her mind for a while.

"What happened to her?"

She watched Damon as he swirled his glass of wine in his hand, before simply shrugging and saying "she died..." Elena nodded a little, accepting he did not want to go into it any further. As she was about to stand and collect the plates, he continued speaking. "I was eight years old. I remember walking into the lounge to find her asleep in the couch she always napped in. Normally she'd wake up hearing me wander in and we'd go and do something together. But this time she didn't. I shook her arm, pinched her nose, even went skipping around the room chanting a 'bad' word and laughing to myself because I thought it was a game she was playing. It was only until my father came home in the dead of night to find me asleep next to her that he informed me of the horrible truth."

The tears silently rolled down Elena cheeks as she listened to Damon speak. His story was simply heart-breaking and Elena wondered how he could sit there, reliving what must have been the most horrific thing for a child to witness without shedding a tear. She couldn't think of a single word to say, but he continued on.

"He practically tore me from the couch to shake her violently, trying to wake her up but she'd been gone for God knows how many hours. She was on a lot of medication for depression, insomnia, various other things and she'd accidently overdosed. I remember a lot of people at the funeral speaking in hushed whispers saying how she'd done it deliberately. As much as people probably couldn't blame her, I know for a fact she wouldn't have left me on purpose like that. And with her death, and my father nothing giving up work for anything, he hired a house keeper to take care of..."

"Oh Damon I'm so sorry," Elena sobbed, unable to hold it in any longer, his story too emotional to keep it together. She heard him laugh a little,

"Bet you wished we'd kept the conversation a little more cheerful now, huh?"

"N-not at all I.. I just..." she couldn't speak, too overcome with tears to make any sense.

"Oh come here Little Miss Waterworks."

Without giving a second thought Elena scraped back her chair to perch herself into his waiting lap, planting a kiss onto his lips, tasting the salt of her tears as they slipped into the corner of her mouth.

"I'm sorry for getting so upset," she said, trying to wipe away the tears to look at him properly, "I just can't believe you had to go through that, Damon."

"We all loose our parents at some point in life, doesn't make it any less painful whether you're a kid, a teenager, an adult."

Elena nodded and smiled down at him, still tearful as she suddenly thought of her own parents. His hands stroked through her hair lovingly, stroking away the strands that mingled with her tears on her flushed face.

"It feels like this pain won't go away, Damon" she whispered, feeling the grief course through her body. "It just... hurts."

And then, for the first time, Elena truly allowed herself to cry. All the numbness she felt, the strong front she put up for Jeremy, Jenna and her Uncle John who tried to break those walls down that she had in place. There was never any room to fully let her emotions out. Yet finally, in Damon's arms she could let out the tears that really needed to fall.

Somewhere in between her despair, Damon had carried her over to the couch to hold her properly in his arms. Through her loud sobs of anguish he stroked her back soothingly and gave her all the time she needed. Elena didn't know how long she was crying for, but her sobs eventually turned to sniffles as she curled herself against Damon's body, feeling comforted by his warmth and embrace.

"It'll get easier," he said quietly.

And as Elena lulled into a much needed sleep. She believed him.

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><p><strong>DAMON'S POV<strong>

The sun was beginning to filter through the curtains, shedding the perfect amount of light onto Elena's sleeping face. Damon had been watching her intently for the last hour or so, stroking his hand up and down the side of her naked body, enjoying the feel of every curve and her supple skin beneath his fingers. It would be a long time until he would have the chance to be with her like this and he wanted to relish every moment while he still had her.

She stirred a little in her slumber, causing her hair to fall onto her face. Damon gently curled it back behind her ear, smoothing his hand down the length of her long hair to the small of her back, pulling her in closer to hold her against his body. She hummed with content, nestling her head against his chest and placing a feather light kiss on his warm skin.

The thought of going back to teacher/student was torture.

"I wish we didn't have to go," she mumbled. Damon smirked as he rested his chin on top of her head.

"It's like you can read my mind, honey."

"It's gonna be so hard seeing you and not being able to kiss you tomorrow," she added, Damon could feel her pouting against his skin.

"I know. But we'll find time to see each other, don't worry" he said, though he knew deep down it would be very difficult. It was so important they didn't get so much as a whisper of interest from anyone. To the prying eyes of everyone else they were teacher and student. Nothing more and nothing less.

Somehow, Damon sensed she was thinking the same thing.

"Thank you for a perfect weekend, Damon" came her sleepy, little voice. Damon felt a smile twitch on his lips.

"It's the first of many," he assured her, moving away to finally see her awake, though still very tired with slightly puffed eyes from her tears last night. Regardless, she still looked incredibly beautiful.

"I'm gonna get a shower," she groaned, "I hate feeling so icky when I'm in bed next to you."

"And why is that exactly?" Damon quipped, reclining back in bed as she scooted away with one of the sheets wrapped around her curves.

"Because it annoys me how amazing you always look, when I probably look like a sack of crap right now."

The moment she said that, Damon loved how she turned around to look directly to his body. He was well aware the bed sheets were draped dangerously low on his hips and as he teasingly stretched his arms above his head, he knew it would ride lower to the point where with a slight tug it would reveal him in all his glory.

Damon peeped open one, brilliant blue eye to look at her while she stared. The sheet she had lazily twirled around her was slowly coming undone, revealing the plump curve of her breast and a more than generous view of her left thigh.

"You look amazing, Elena. As always. Now get back in this bed and give me a proper good morning," he winked.

"Ha, with that attitude you should be so lucky" she said with a clever look, then pivoting on her heel towards the small bathroom that was next door to their guest room.

"Your stubbornness only turns me on all the more Miss Gilbert. I'll see you in there in five" he retorted, smiling to himself as he heard her giggle before closing the door. She didn't lock it. And when the shower turned on he instantly felt his manhood throb harder that what it already was.

Checking the time, Damon saw it was ticking towards nine in the morning. Alaric asked they be out by ten, as he had someone coming to view the cabin at noon to buy it. The man was crazy to want to sell this place, Damon thought.

Then Damon did a few brief calculations in his head as he shuffled against the mattress; an hour to get ready and sling their things into their suitcases – more than enough time for a heated quickie in the shower.

Damon slinked out of their bedroom and towards the sound of running water. The louder it got, the more excited he became. Knowing she was beyond that closed, wooden door, standing under a spray of warm water with a hazy mist around her body was simply divine. And in a matter of moments she would back against the slick tiles with her legs firmly wrapped around his hips. Damon almost rubbed his hands with satisfaction as he opened the door.

As vivid as his imagination of Elena was, it was nothing compared to reality. Damon stood slack-jawed as she looked through the white mist for him, her eyes with a twinkle of sexual desire. Tangling her fingers through her wet, slicked back hair she turned to face him fully.

"So are you gonna join me or hand me that robe?"

Damon's response was to simply march right over, jumping into the heavy spray of hot water and kissing her senseless. Her breath caught in his mouth as he pushed her back against the cool tiles with a deep groan, feeling his erection press hard against her lower abdomen. She did something between a moan and a gasp at the feel of him nudging against her with pure need. It drove him wild.

He went to pick her legs up to hoist them around him but she shook her head against his parted, wet lips. Damon felt his heart drop but his dick harden, thinking she was about to suggest that they don't participate in hot, shower sex and go back and pack like they were supposed to be doing.

He breathed in to say something but she placed a finger against his lips. The look in her normally innocent eyes were now oozing sex. Damon curled his lips into a smile as he slowly drew her finger into his warm, waiting mouth. Her whole body flourished with goosebumps and he could feel it, drawing back his lips along her slender digit as he stared directly into her eyes.

The moment he chose to release her, she leaned onto her tip toes to crash her lips against his, kissing down to his chin, his throat, pecking her way down his chest until she was down to her knees. Damon groaned as he leaned against the wall, arching his head back while he felt her grip his thighs and swirl her tongue across his hip bone. In those first few weeks of meeting her, Damon had fantasized about this sexual moment in particular. He used to feel ashamed and he knew he still should. But to put it quite simply, he didn't. The outside world could judge all they want. He didn't give a flying fuck about any of it as he look down to find her kneeling under the shower spray, her left hand gently stroking over his length as she looked up to his face.

"You're torturing me, you know that?" he breathed, struggling to keep his usual cool, calm and collected demeanour.

"Just let me know if I'm…" her voice quietly trailed off and Damon look back down to her. She looked a little… apprehensive.

_Ah, another first for her_… he thought.

"You will be doing it right, Elena. _Truuuust_ me."

"Okay," she whispered, resuming her administrations with her hand. Damon bit his lip and slammed his head back against the wall for the umpteenth time already.

And then her tongue flicked over the tip with a feather light touch. She was lucky he managed to keep it together and she'd barely even started.

Before he could exclaim his affections, she enveloped her mouth around the head of his shaft and slowly, ever so slowly, began to bob her head up and down. She got the rhythm and suction just right and it took Damon everything to not grab a fistful of her wet hair and thrust forcefully into her mouth until he came deep into her mouth and throat.

"Sweet Jesus, Elena…" he moaned, curling his fingers through her tumbles of dark hair, at least allowing himself that much.

She hummed around his girth and Damon realized he was practically growling with pleasure, absent-mindly thrusting a little, but she didn't mind at all. In fact, she was beginning to draw him in, gripping his firm buttocks and meeting with every thrust. To say this was her first time doing this was unbelievable. She was amazing at it.

The fact that the time was ticking closer and closer to the 10:00am was now but a distant memory.

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><p>...<p>

...

...

"Great… juuuust great."

Alaric Saltzman shook his head as he pulled up in front of the cabin, right next to Damon's car which should be gone by now. He had two hours to get this place in tip-top condition for his potential buyers. He was barely making money out of it anymore, and he needed the money himself. He'd have Damon's head on a plate if he wasn't out in the next ten minutes so he could get started.

With a hefty sigh, Alaric climbed out of the car and slammed the door, the heavy 'clunk' sound echoing through the quiet morning forest. Without wasting another second to only get more annoyed, Alaric creaked his way up the wooden cabin stairs.

He still had his own set of keys, so with a flick of the wrist the door opened. He braced himself to be met with Damon's bare backside while he held a sexy blonde's legs spread-eagled in the air. But thankfully, the place was deserted. Plus it wasn't too messy, say for a pile of unwashed plates on the dining table and a towel draped over the couch. Ooh, and a camera on the coffee table… a devious smile played on Alaric's face.

A muffled, female moan vibrated through the ceiling, where the shower was running full blast.

"You dirty old dog, Damon" Alaric laughed, feeling a little cheeky and switching on the camera. Heck, if there were any x-rated photos on it, it'd give them something to laugh about tomorrow morning.

So the last take image was of the glorious sunset over Dunham lake. Yeah, it was certainly a sight but Alaric had seen it a million times before. Second was of Damon chopping wood, so was the next one, and the next, pretty much capturing every single movement it took to swing the axe down only for him to miss it. What a waste of image space! Oh finally, there's the girl standing at the end of the jetty, her back to the camera as she looks out to the open water. Alaric frowned. She was brunette. Not the blonde temptress that Damon had described to him in detail.

As another climactic moan blasted through the walls, Alaric's stomach lurched as he clicked to the next image.

It was Damon – with Elena Gilbert. An arm-length shot of the two, with the sixteen year old girl kissing him on the cheek while her teacher held her bikini-clad body close to his own.

Alaric suddenly felt physically sick.

Then the shower turned off.

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><p>.<em>.. reviews please?<em>

_Thank you, and I'll promise to be back with Chapter 16 as soon as I can._

_Anna x_


	16. Chapter 16

_Hey everyone!_

_Well FINALLY i'm back home from my internship in London, and just in the nick of time with all the rioting going down. If any readers are from the UK and living in a riot zone, I hope you're all safe and well!_

_So I return with Chapter 16 of 'Love Lessons.' I'm sooooo pleased you all liked the ending to my last chapter. It was a lot of fun to write and I'm glad it came across that way. Thank you for letting me know in your reviews. I appreciate and enjoy all of them._

_Okay so this chapter was a toughie to write, but it was also really fun to put together. It's not a huge chapter, but it's pretty intense so I didn't want to drag it out. Please let me know what you think and Chapter 17 will be right around the corner for you all._

_P.S - how amazing are the new DE spoiler pics for S3? *squee!*_

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><p><strong>Damon's POV<strong>

Okay, so the quickie didn't exactly turn out to be quick enough. Damon checked the time on his return to the bedroom to find it was almost past ten. He cursed several times under his breath as he threw a black t-shirt over his damp body, knowing he and Elena needed to get a move on.

"Tick tock, Elena!" he called out as he grabbed whatever clothes of his he could find and stuffing them into his bag. He heard her muffled response through the closed bathroom door. He really, really hoped she wasn't putting make-up on. She looked flawless 24/7 and they should already be on the road towards home.

As Damon hurried down into the lounge area, he cursed once again at the sight of unwashed plates, pans and bowls.

"Oh fuck, fuck, fucking hell!"

With an animalistic growl, Damon dumped their bags on the floor and quickly washed, or rinsed rather, the dirty dishes. The sooner they were in that car and on the road the better. Damon suddenly realized how ignorant it was of him to not ask when Alaric would definitely be arriving.

"Okay I'm ready!" Elena said, a little breathlessly as Damon glanced up to find her twisting her hair into a ponytail. He loved it on the rare occasion when she would scoop back those gorgeous locks to reveal her slender neck. She looked so...

_Snap out of it! _screamed his thoughts, while mentally slapping himself around the face too. Damon shook the soapy water from his hands, remembering he needed to get his phone charger and camera.

"You should have your hair up more often," he commented while he dried his hands.

"Oh yeah? And why's that?" she asked, hand innocently twirling through her hair.

Damon silently stepped over to place a single, soft kiss on the curve of her neck.

"That's why" he whispered gently, then wandering off into the lounge to find his gadgets. It sounded crazy, but it was almost like he could _hear_ her shuddering with pleasure.

"You're mean to do that when we're about to leave" she pouted.

"I know" he said in a cocky manner, twirling the phone wire in his hands and zipping it into his bag, "Okay..." he said, clicking his fingers and turning to the coffee table, "..camera."

Odd.

It was gone.

Damon frowned and moved around the magazines, a pointless act considering they were as flat as pancakes and the bulge of his camera would be easy to find between the pages. It wasn't under the table, and with a quick brush under the couch it wasn't there either.

"Have you got it?" Elena asked.

Damon shifted around the cushions, blankets, even dragged back about a million of the annoying rugs that were over the floor and came out empty.

"Sure you didn't move it?" he questioned, feeling the panic swell a little in his chest.

Elena shook her head slowly. A tiny frown appearing on her face as she did so. Damon stood up from his knees, trying desperately to think where he put the damn thing. They'd taken _so_ many photographs and the shit would hit the fan if Alaric stumbled across it. But Damon was so sure he'd left it _right _there on the coffee table. The doors were locked all night so who could possibly steal it? Cursing under his breath he got back to his knees again, looking as hard as he could under the couch.

"Are you sure you left it on the table?"

"Yes Elena, I'm sure" Damon said, trying to keep his temper under control. Oh how he wanted to spit out the word 'fuck' over and over while kicking the odd bit of furniture around. However on his last attempt at looking between cushions and carpets, Damon couldn't help but kick the couch as hard as he could, causing Elena to jump from behind it.

"Hey, hey" he heard her hush. Damon looked up to find her rounding the couch, her hands automatically reaching up to his face to cradle his head. He instantly felt calmer when she was near.

"Sorry," he growled, enjoying the feel of her fingertips on his face while he still scoped the room for the damned camera. But he was cut off as she made him look at her.

"We'll find it don't worry. Lets just get our stuff in the car and we'll retrace our steps, okay?"

Damon took a deep breath and nodded. She placed a quick, reassuring kiss on his still lips.

"Thought I was meant to be the adult here," he smirked.

"Well from what I've heard, men never exactly grow up" she replied, patting his face mockingly as she moved away. Damon, not one to be out done, playfully slapped her behind.

"Ow, Damon!" she squealed, turning around to scowl at him. Damon wiggled his eyebrows, loving how she couldn't hold back her amusement as she turned to hide her laughter.

"You love it really," he teased, hauling both of their bags into his arms and making his way to the door.

"Oh I would be so sure about that," she replied, giggling to herself as she opened the door, allowing the sunlight to leak into the dim cabin.

"Now we both know that is..."

Damon stopped in his tracks halfway down the dusty, wooden steps. Elena with a gasp, had fallen silent behind him too. Because right there in front of them, casually leaning against the hood of his car, was Alaric Saltzman.

Despite the fact they were in the middle of a forest, Damon suddenly felt incredibly claustrophobic. He was void of all speech and thought, he could only feel and what he was feeling didn't have a name for it either. All he could do was to simply stare into the eyes of his friend, and in a naive way wondering what on earth he was doing there.

Alaric shifted his right hand from the hood to reveal he had Damon's camera. He began flicking through the images; the tiny, electronic ticking sound of each 'click' echoed through the vast expanse of air between them. With each sound, each image of what Damon knew was on that device flashed through his head; cuddling on the couch, kissing on the jetty, it was all there and Ric had seen each and every one.

Damon swallowed the thick, heavy lump in his throat as Alaric switched the camera off again. He looked back to Damon, then with the camera he gesturrf to the frightened teenage girl behind him.

"Not exactly the blonde babe you were telling me about is it, Damon?"

Elena grabbed Damon's tense bicep, causing him to look back at her. She was terrified. The healthy glow in her cheeks was replaced with a grey, ash-like colour.

"Damon," she whispered, shaking like a quivering, autumnal leaf about to fall.

"Go wait in the car, Elena" he said lowly, knowing Alaric could still hear him.

Her watery, brown eyes stared down at him, looking terribly lost and confused. Damon reached for her hand that still gripped the muscle of his arm, stroking her skin softly. He gently eased her arm foreword to coax her down the steps to go to the car. Damon silently thanked her for doing as he asked as opposed to wanting to stay for whatever discussion or argument awaited with Alaric. She hurried down the steps, giving Alaric a wide berth as she approached the car, swinging the door open so quickly Damon feared it would break off its hinges. The door slammed shut, and then it was just Damon and Alaric.

As Damon opened his mouth to speak, Alaric marched towards him. Damon didn't know whether to brace himself for a beating, but Alaric walked right on by and into the cabin, leaving the door open as a silent invitation.

Damon glanced over to the car, seeing Elena, wide-eyed and on edge as she watched him about to disappear indoors. He smiled at her, somewhat sadly. Damon was under no false pretense that this was going to end well. He followed Ric inside and closed the door.

The man who had quickly grown to be one of the best friends he'd ever had was busy pouring himself a large scotch, then filling up a second glass for Damon. The atmosphere was tense and for the first time in his life, Damon was actually scared to speak. Alaric took a large swig of his drink, scrunching up his face at the bitter taste as he wandered through his cabin, planting Damon's drink forcefully into his hand. The dark liquid sloshed onto Damon's fingers and arm as Alaric walked away to pace back and forth in the lounge.

After a few moments of silence, apart from Alaric's scuffling footsteps on the wooden floor boards and rugs, Damon knew he had to say something.

"Ric, I..."

"Are you out of your _**fucking**_ mind?"

Damon snapped his mouth shut at Alaric's sudden outburst, watching the man point at him angrily with his camera, where all the evidence of his relationship with Elena was stored. Alaric was disgusted and clearly horrified by what he'd found. Damon knew he needed to get him on his side, to get him to see his perspective. Otherwise he may as well march himself down to the nearest police station and make himself comfortable in a cell for the next however many years. The thought caused a cold tremor to wrack Damon's body.

He downed his scotch, knowing he needed it.

"I know what this looks like, Ric, but you at least have to try and understand.."

"Understand what, Damon? That my friend and colleague has turned out to be paedophile? Is that what you want me to understand?"

That was painful. That _word _was painful to take in. It tore through Damon like a knife and if it were anyone else who used it he would have beaten several shades of shit out of them. But this was Alaric, not some acquaintance who didn't know the first thing about him. Alaric himself looked taken back by his own choice of words, finishing off his drink and slamming his glass onto the table. As he began his pacing up and down act again, Damon chose to speak.

"I want you to understand that all the negative crap that you're thinking about myself and Elena right now couldn't be more the opposite..." Damon paused to choose his next words correctly, feeling under pressure as Alaric scoffed at his comment. "I know you see all this shit in the news about teachers sexually exploiting their students, manipulating them, taking advantage of their age and God knows how many other perverse stories. But I am telling you now that we're _nothing _like that. There's no seedy back story to it, we just... happened."

Alaric laughed again as though Damon were talking rubbish. Damon actually felt his fingers flex into a fist.

"Come off it, Damon. It always turns out that either the teacher is forcing the kid into the situation, or the kid black mails the teacher into it. It's either one or the other, so what'll it be?"

"You know me better than that, Alaric" Damon spat through gritted teeth.

"I dunno, Damon. I've known you for what, two months? How do I know this isn't some incredibly convincing act to cover up your perver-"

"Don't you fucking **_dare_** associate me with that word" Damon warned, stepping closer to Alaric with only the coffee table between them. "There is no act, there is no black-mailing, no forcing anyone into anything. We fell for each other as a girl and a guy do every single, fucking day on this planet."

"Oh," Alaric quipped, sarcastically nodding as if all was well and good, "so if it's all genuine from your point of view, how sure are you that Elena isn't simply enjoying the fantasy of this whole thing between you both? The hot teacher falls for her and whisks her away, the kind of thing that naive, teeny-bop girls dream of."

"She's not like that. No offense to the girl, but if this was Caroline Forbes we were talking about then maybe i'd see your side. But this is _Elena _we're talking about here; the brightest girl in the school, glowing grades, a girl whose been forced to grow up faster beyond her years. She's not some air-head teen. She's a young woman."

Finally Damon could see a glimmer of hope that he was slowly inching his way to getting the upper hand. Alaric shook his head and rubbed his tired eyes in thought.

"This is crazy, Damon" he sighed, meeting his stare dead on. Damon didn't know if it were his mind playing tricks, but it almost looked as though Alaric was beginning to understand him.

"I know it is. You don't need to tell me that" he said lowly.

"But maybe I do," Alaric suddenly piped up, "maybe you need someone to tell you how **wrong **this is. You're sleeping with your student, an underage girl who has just lost her parents. If you get caught they'll play the, oh I dunno... _'taking advantage of an emotionally vulnerable child'_ card on you, no fucking question about that. No matter how many times that girl out there in that car will tell a court room it's genuine between you, they'll see her as a brainwashed kid who doesn't know any better. Have you thought as far as that into it, Damon? Have you?"

By this point, Damon's eyesight had drifted over Alaric's shoulder, staring into space as he thought long and hard about what his friend was saying. It terrified him because everything he was saying was completely and inescapably true. Those in a court room would know all the little tricks, work around each and every flaw they had until it drove them hard into the ground to the point where there was no way of coming back up. Who was going to be on their side? Perhaps Elena would get sympathy but what would Damon have? He had no friends, no family - he had _nothing. _

"I know what you're saying, Ric" he said after a few moments of deafening silence. He stared into Alaric's hazel eyes, once penetrating with anger but now softened and calm. "But that's _if_ we get caught. And you're the only one who knows."

"Damon..."

"Are you going to blow our cover, Ric?" Damon demanded, needing to know his answer.

"It's a lot to take in Damon, I need to think."

"What else is there to take in?" Damon spat, watching Alaric wander away towards the fire place, ruffling a hand through his dirty, blonde hair. "You know this isn't anything sinister."

"That's besides the point, it's still wrong in the eyes of the law."

"Maybe so. To the outside world looking in, I'm a sick paeodophile freak who needs his dick cutting off. But you're on the inside of this, Ric. And as much as this cripples my masculinity to say this - I am _in love_ with that girl. I wouldn't dream of harming a single hair on her head, and if she wanted to walk away then I wouldn't stop her. We both know how dangerous this is, but we were willing to take the risk."

Damon was physically shaking from his words; wanting and willing so much to finally get Alaric to see his side. Alaric had listened intently to him, Damon could tell. But he didn't realize that their was a third member who had eased into the room.

"Please Mr Saltzman.." came a tiny voice from the door.

The two feuding men looked over to find Elena had somehow entered unnoticed. Damon wondered how long she had been stood there and how much she had heard.

"Everything Damon has said is true, I swear" she said nervously. "Please don't say anything."

Damon looked from Elena to Alaric. The man looked so conflicted and more than a little uncomfortable with the whole situation.

"Please Ric," Damon added, needing this emotional turmoil to end. "I'm not asking for your support. But I am asking for you to keep this quiet."

With a sigh, Alaric looked back and forth to the obscure couple. A less than approving look on his stubbled face. Damon felt his heart clench tightly in his chest as Alaric brought the camera into view, staring down at it for a few seconds before handing it over. Damon took it, almost feeling as though he could pass out with relief.

"If I were you i'd end this. Don't expect any more favors from me." Alaric said under his breath before storming away.

Damon watched him brush passed Elena who stood silently by the door. Alaric held it open, silently telling them he wanted the pair out of his holiday home. Wordlessly Damon slipped the camera into his jeans pocket and met his young girlfriend by the door, taking her hand supportively as they faced the first and hopefully only person to discover their secret.

"Thank you" Damon said, trying to get Alaric to look at them. But as soon as the couple held hands, Alaric couldn't seem bring himself to look their way, instead choosing to stare out onto the porch.

He wasn't going to reply, he simply waited until they got off his property and into Damon's car. As soon as Damon started up the vehicle, Alaric disappeared inside the cabin with a heavy slam of the door.

Elena let out a shaky breath beside him as Damon hastily reversed away from the cabin and onto the uneven, country road. As Damon checked the time on his watch, the last half an hour suddenly didn't seem real.

"Do you think he'll say anything?" Elena stammered.

Damon wanted to say 'nah, of course he won't.' A small part of him hoped he could actually come away believing that. But was Alaric that convinced and on their side? Damon could not come up with an answer for that one. But on gut instinct and all logic pushed aside, he felt Alaric would keep quiet about them.

But still...

"I don't think so," he replied, quickly scrabbling for Elena's hand and squeezing tightly on her lap.

"Damon?"

His stomach dropped at the thought of having to answer more of her questions that he simply didn't have the answer for. But that didn't matter to him, because he would reply as best as he could to make sure Elena was reassured and confident about them being safe and secret.

"Yeah?" he responded, bracing himself.

"...I'm in love with you too," she whispered.

* * *

><p><em>Soooo, what's the verdict!<em>

_Please let me know what you think, or what you think could or even should happen in the future. It'd be interesting to know, hehe._

_I look forward to reading your reviews! Thank youuuuuuu!_

_Anna x_


	17. Chapter 17

_Hello everyone!_

_Well I'm back nice and early with Chapter 17. Thought it was only fair considering I wasn't able to update for AGES. Glad you liked the last chapter, so pleased Alaric's response came across well. So thank you for letting me know. I'll respond personally to some of you during the week :-)_

_So here we go with Chapter 17 of Love Lessons. Hope you enjoy it!_

* * *

><p><strong>ELENA'S POV<strong>

Elena hadn't slept a wink all night.

Rolling over in her bed to check the time on her bedside clock, she grumbled to see it was almost 3am on Monday morning. She willed herself to drift to sleep, but as soon as she felt her body and mind being lulled into slumber all she could see was Damon. Damon and the fear in his eyes as she left his car earlier that sunday.

They had been caught - now what?

Elena threw the bulky sheets from her body, suddenly feeling incredibly hot and bothered. She wasn't entirely convinced with Alaric keeping hush about them and she knew Damon wasn't either. She wished so badly that she could be with him right now. As strong as Damon was, she knew he would be terrified for what was to come.

Because until they both arrive to school later that day, they're simply left to wonder and worry.

* * *

><p>"Y'know, Monday morning's aren't so bad these days. Especially when one has the likes of Mr Salvatore for their first class" swooned Caroline, her lively, blonde curls bouncing on her shoulders in the early morning breeze.<p>

"He makes Monday morning's bearable. It's all in the eyes, I swear they get bluer every time I see them," added Bonnie as the three best friends crossed the road, heading another street closer towards Mystic Falls High.

"They do! Ooh and the suits he wears? God they're soooo snug in _that _area, and not in a tasteless way but in a really, _really_ good way. What do you think Elena?"

Normally when the girls would be gushing about her secret lover and boyfriend, Elena would be reeling with delight; because she'd seen every inch of his magnificent body and knew exactly how he made love to a girl, which was nothing short of mind-blowing. But not today. Her mind was focused on Mr Saltzman and what he was going to do. Hopefully, as Elena crossed her fingers tightly in her pocket, he would do nothing.

"Elena?"

"Hm?" she looked to Caroline and suddenly remembered what she was banging on about for the last ten minutes "Oh yeah, I love his eyes..." she mused, suddenly thinking back to her time with Damon at the cabin; how they would swim in the cool lake at midnight and his eyes would glow like ice against the surface, or how they looked down at her, hot with desire as he thrust deep into her during one of their many moments of love-making. She smiled and looked back at Caroline next to her, " yeah, the eyes are definitely at the top of my list. Pretty much all of him is."

"Damn right. I mean..." Caroline burst into giggles, "do you remember how we used to gush over Mr Saltzman?"

Elena felt her stomach drop.

"What, he's still pretty hot" Bonnie said - Elena's sudden change of mood hadn't gone undetected by her.

"Next to Salvatore? Please, the man is _so _average!"

Elena felt her heart drum wildly in her chest and this was only at the mentioning of Mr Saltzman. What if she actually saw him? They were already walking through the school grounds, heading in exactly that direction. It suddenly hit Elena like a ton of bricks that she could meet one of many horrible scenarios in her head; the worst being a number of police marching Damon, hand-cuffed and shamed out of school and into the back of a police car. It was a possibility now. It could happen.

Without thinking she stopped in her tracks and began backing off.

"Elena, what are you doing?" Bonnie asked, turning back to grab her by the arm.

"Nothing, I just..." Elena looked back and forth between her friends, knowing her actions were more than a little off. "Lets bunk school off today."

Bonnie and Caroline exchanged a questioning look. They hadn't blown off school since they were thirteen, and then it was just the once. This was looking so ridiculous.

"Why would you wanna do that?" Caroline asked.

"Well I mean..." Elena flapped her hands uselessly by her sides, "what's one day gonna hurt to do something fun?"

"Elena, what's going on?" Bonnie asked, looking concerned at her friends behaviour. Elena shook her head and laughed at Bonnie as though her friend was overreacting. But she wasn't, Elena knew how out of character she sounded.

"Nothing. I just thought we could go out and do something crazy" she suggested, quickly hurrying by her friends and heading towards their English class.

She'd just made things a whole lot worse. Bunking off school? _Genius idea, Elena _taunted her brain. Now her friends thought she was crazy. Or at least Caroline did. But Bonnie definitely knew there was more to this than a random day off school to 'have some fun.' And now they were heading to their English class where no doubt Damon would appear a little on edge, along with Elena herself. It was bad enough trying to hide things before, but now with everything that had happened over the weekend? Elena just wasn't good enough a liar.

She just hoped Bonnie wouldn't press her for answers. Because with the amount of pressure Elena felt on her tiny shoulders, she didn't know how long it would take until she snapped.

* * *

><p><strong>DAMON'S POV<strong>

Damon Salvatore was _tired._

As he wandered through the hallway towards the faculty lounge, he caught sight of his reflection in the windows. He looked like Hell; dark circles under his eyes, messy hair, stubble, his shirt creased and he'd forgotten his tie. But quite frankly he had bigger things to worry about than his appearance. To Hell with John if he decided to pick up on it, Damon was more concerned about Alaric, whom he still hadn't seen since they departed ways at the log cabin twenty-four hours ago. There was no police yet on the site, so that was a pretty good sign.

Damon couldn't believe he'd just associated that last sentence with himself. This whole situation was completely fucked.

The smell of stale coffee rolled through the air as Damon approached the lounge. With a sharp ear, he could hear people talking in whispers. Two men to be exact. He closed his eyes as he walked the last, three steps. He knew exactly who they were.

Jonathan Gilbert and Alaric Saltzman immediately stopped their talking as Damon entered the room. Alaric wore a look that was caught somewhere between sympathetic and disappointment. Maybe a dash of hate in there too, Damon couldn't quite tell in his exhausted state. John on the other hand continued to wear that steely expression that was unreadable, say for the smugness that never seemed far away. Damon stood silently in front of them, before forcing a smile on his face.

"I'm not interrupting anything am I?" he asked.

"What on earth did you get up to last night?" John questioned, taking in Damon's rough state and deterring from his query completely.

Alaric turned to go and make himself some coffee. Damon was confused, quite scared to be perfectly honest, but knew he had to keep up appearances.

"I had a terrible nights sleep" was all Damon said, feeling it was best to keep things as simple as possible. He didn't know if John knew anything. But surely if he did, he would have him by the scruff of his neck for sleeping with his sixteen year old niece. Or better yet, would have driven a few of the scattered pencils on the desk in front of them through his chest.

"Is that all it was?" John pushed.

Damon clenched his jaw. Did the man actually know?

Alaric was slowly stirring his coffee. Damon silently cursed the man in his head for behaving so ambiguous towards him.

"Well if you're hoping to hear me say I had a wild night on the town with a bunch of groupies then I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed" Damon quipped, wandering over to the coffee machine where Alaric was still keeping himself occupied. "So what was your mother's meeting about a moment ago?" He said, loudly enough so it probably perforated Alaric's ear drum next to him. "Anything I should know about?"

Damon stared hard at Alaric, but the man never looked in his direction as he turned around to face the room again, sipping his piping, hot drink.

"We were just discussing the Christmas Ball coming up. There's a meeting after school that everyone will need to attend."

"Oh..." Damon frowned, firstly wondering why on earth there would be a meeting about the Christmas Ball at the end of October, but then feeling somewhat guilty for behaving the way he had with Ric. The man clearly hadn't said a word about his relationship with Elena.

"We usually like to keep these meetings early so it doesn't snowball in chaos closer to the time. No pun intended," warbled John.

"Okay, well thank you for letting me know, i'll be sure to be there" replied Damon. John nodded and lazily pointed at him.

"You should try and smarten yourself up a little before class. Doesn't give off a good impression."

"You're the boss John," Damon said with a fake smile. It didn't brush off well, and John left the room without further word.

Damon looked across to Ric who stared blankly at the table in front of them, continuing to sip his drink.

"Thank you," said Damon, and really, _really_ meaning it. "You have no idea how much this-"

"Oh spare me all this arse-kissing thank you shit, Damon" groaned Alaric, still not looking at him as he wandered around the table.

"Would you rather I not express my thanks at all? Surely that'd piss you off more" Damon retorted.

"Look just... just don't bother talking to me anymore okay? I'm done with you."

For some reason as Ric said that, it actually hurt Damon. Once his good friend, now he was barely able to look Damon in the eye. He was disgusted by him. By what he was doing. As Damon watched the man slurp his coffee, he put himself in his shoes, as though he were a none-the-wiser outsider looking in on the forbidden relationship between Damon Salvatore and Elena Gilbert. It equalled to a sick perverted teacher fucking an immature teenage girl.

It clearly didnt matter how much Alaric thought he knew Damon, or what impression he got from Elena as a student, it was no wonder he thought like he did. To the outside world looking in that's exactly what the relationship was and it was going to be a mammoth task to make anyone think any different.

But with Alaric, Damon felt he had to try.

"Ric will you hear me out one last time?"

"No, Damon."

"A few drinks, at The Grill or something later this week?"

"I said no."

He began to walk out of the room but Damon zoomed around the table in time to grab him by the arm. He was completely caught off guard as Ric slammed him back into a metal filing cabinet, holding him tight by his shirt collar and choking him painfully. Damon tried to prise his hands away from his throat, but Ric slammed him once more so hard against the cabinet Damon felt a sharp, splinter of pain shoot through his entire spine.

"The only reason I'm not telling anyone about your sick, little charade with Elena Gilbert is because I valued you as a friend." Alaric hissed, tightening his hold on Damon's shirt, cutting off his air supply almost completely. "As of now you're on your own. And believe me Damon, no one is going to be on the side of a teacher who's getting off from one of his pretty young students."

With that, Alaric threw Damon out of his grip like he were filth. Damon gasped for air against the cabinet, glaring at Alaric as he rubbed his wheezing throat.

Their friendship was officially over.

Alaric shook his head and left, leaving Damon on his knees in the faculty lounge to regain his breath. His throat was so dry and painful it actually hurt to breathe for a few minutes.

Damon was not expecting things to end that way. But perhaps that was a little naive on his part.

He coughed several times as he made his way to the water cooler in the corner of the room, desperately needing a large cup of it to soothe his throat.

"Damon?"

He turned, rolled his eyes and resumed pouring himself some water.

"What is it, Isobel?" he croaked, voice gone almost entirely.

"What's wrong? You look terrible!"

He cringed as he felt her long fingers curl around his shoulders and waist, urging him to turn and face her properly.

"I'm just not well," he replied, coughing several times to try and get his voice back to normal. Alaric had officially wrecked it for the time being.

Isobel went to the lengths of feeling his temperature, resting her hand on his forehead and then to the sides of his face. Damon stood there feeling like an idiot, wishing the woman would piss off and leave him to sulk before class started.

"You're burning up" she stated. Damon knew he wasn't.

"I'll be fine."

"How about after the meeting tonight I come to yours? I'll make you soup to ease your throat. I'll make you feel better."

She began wrapping her arms around his waist, making sure her finger trips grazed the contorts of his muscles before pressing herself to his body. Damon managed to worm away; tired, fucked off and fed up with life to the point where he didn't care what burst out of his mouth next.

"How many times do I have to tell you I'm fine, Isobel? What will it take for you to realize that I am in no way interested in you, or what you have to offer?" He saw the shock, he saw he offended her, but did he care in the heat of the moment? Did he fuck. Gulping the last of his water , he crushed the plastic cup between his hands and toss it into the bin. Never removing his cold stare from Isobel. "Now if you'll excuse me..."

Damon walked away, but just before he left the room, he was delivered one more bombshell to add to his list.

"Maybe you'll be interested in my offers when I tell you I know your secret, Damon..."

* * *

><p><strong>Elena's POV<strong>

Elena felt her stomach twist violently as she sat in her usual seat in classroom E6. Looking around, she saw Damon was no where to be seen. She was desperate to see those familiar blue eyes that felt like home. If he was here and beginning their class it would be okay to assume they were safe... for now.

But what if Alaric changed his mind through the day and dialled that three, digit number?

Elena pressed her hand to her mouth, feeling incredibly nauseous.

"Elena are you alright?" said Bonnie, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Elena did something between a nod and a shake of her head. Her mind was a mess.

"I think i'll be okay" Elena murmured. Her usually glowing, tanned skin was now dreadfully pale. Her slender hands felt clammy with sweat and her legs felt unhinged. She _needed _Damon to appear in that room now before she drove herself crazy with worry.

"Hey, you guys heard about Tyler's party on friday night?"

Elena jumped at the sight of Matt hunching over their table, with Stefan lurking not too far behind. Shivers even consumed her body at just the sound of Bonnie gasping with delight.

"His parents are on vacation again?" she said with her pearly tooth grin.

"Yeah, they've gone to the Caribbean or something. Anyway his house, 8 o' clock, friday."

"Done," stated Bonnie. "Have you told Caroline?"

Elena could hear them chattering away, but she was too busy staring at the door, watching and waiting for Damon to walk through. Her view was blocked partially by Stefan, who she suddenly realized, was thinking_ she_ was looking at _him_. He bore his usual sad yet loving smile and nodded a little, as if in affirmation of a silent longing for each other. Elena immedietly looked back up to Matt, playing with her dark hair nervously. Not because of Stefan, but because she spied the time on the clock above Damon's desk - it was ten minutes into their class and he _still _ hadn't appeared.

"...Matt you can't invite us to the party without Caroline."

"But Bonnie she's driving me nuts with her whole hot and cold shit. I can't..."

"Well tough, because if she isn't going then neither are we" said Bonnie, brattishly flicking open her Hamlet book and pretending to read it.

"Fine," Matt mumbled, "but i'm only sayin' that because I know how much Stefan wants Elena there."

"Dude!"

Matt looked over his shoulder, clearly oblivious to the fact Stefan had been stood right behind him the whole time. Both boys suddenly blushed with embarrassment. Especially Stefan who looked completely exposed. Bonnie was sniggering behind her book, while Elena covered her face with her hands. This whole morning was just unbearable.

"Sorry man, i didn't know you were there."

"You're such a dick," Stefan moaned, heading back to his desk without his usual goodbye.

"See you later, guys" said Matt, rolling his eyes and hunching his way back to Stefan where they pursued a heated argument in whispers.

"Poor Stefan. He's still head over heels for you," said Bonnie. Elena squinted her eyes shut behind her hand-covered face.

"Don't remind me," she managed, trying to swallow back the heavy, acidic lump in her throat. She felt so ill.

"Isn't there any part of you that would want to get back with him? - Elena?"

"Bonnie I don't feel so good."

"Oh-okay, lets get you to the girls room" Bonnie rushed. Elena felt her friend's arms wrap around her shoulders to guide her up to her unsteady legs. Her whole body felt like it wasn't her own. Damon wasn't here. It was twenty minutes into their lesson. He was already gone. Locked up. And they would be coming after her for questioning next...

"Ohmygod Bonnie, what's wrong with her?" came the echoey voice of Caroline from somewhere. Elena didn't catch anything else, She just needed to get out of there.

"Okay class, sorry I'm-"

**!BANG!**

Elena's entire body collided into Damon's. Hard. Everything happened so quickly that nothing seemed to register in her head. But her hands subconsciously grabbed onto Damon's shirt, not as if they were to support herself from falling, but because he was there and she wasn't prepared to let him go.

"Bonnie, what's wrong?"

"She was feeling really ill, I was taking her to the girl's room."

Elena felt too faint and lost to comprehend much of what was going on around her. All she knew was that she was still holding Damon, inhaling his fresh, manly scent that had her hooked from the first time she collapsed into his arms in that dank, filthy alley-way weeks ago. She wasn't sure if it was his arms around her or still Bonnie's. Regardless of that, he was there and that was all that mattered.

She heard Damon speak, then she was being lead down the hallway which seemed like a white haze of nothingness. The loud creak of a door and then another, Elena found herself emptying the contents of her stomach into the toilet.

"Go and get the school nurse, she needs to go home."

Through her tears and sobs that echoed in the toilet bowl, Elena heard the running of feet, the door groan it's way open again, and then just her own, uneven breathing as her arms hugged the cold porcelain.

"I'll be okay, Bonnie" she mumbled, grimacing as she reached for the flush handle.

"It's not Bonnie."

Elena gasped, trying to fathom something to say but was suddenly lost for words as she felt Damon's hands gently weave through her hair, making sure it was away from her face as she continued to heave slightly. She felt so ill, but so much better at the same time knowing Damon was with her.

"What if someone finds us here?"

She heard him chuckle softly while he continued to smooth down her hair on her back. The tension in her body seemed to vanish under his fluid moments.

"Well considering you're throwing up and we're not jumping each others bones in this cubicle right now, I think it's safe to say people will be fine about it."

Elena released a breathless laugh. But still, she had more questions.

"What about Ric?"

"He has not and will not say a word."

"What took.." Elena felt her stomach curdle again, but it soon settled, "What took you so long to get to class? I was worried sick."

"I can see that, honey"

Elena reached her hand out and slapped his leg behind her. Even though she was staring at the toilet seat, she could still envision him smirking at his little joke.

"What about class? They saw us leave, what if..."

"I told them all to read through last weeks essays and make notes of their mistakes until I got back. Elena, we're fine. I wouldn't be here otherwise."

"You promise?"

She felt her body shudder as Damon slipped her dark mane of hair to one side to gently kiss her the under side of her jaw.

"I promise."

Smiling, she rested her head against his stubbled cheek, enjoying his warmth, the feel of his skin, how he could turn everything bad around her for the better in the blink of an eye.

"I love you so much, Damon."

His lips gently grazed from her neck to ear,

"I love you too," he whispered in a deep, soothing voice.

Their blissful moment, despite it being in a toilet cubicle, was swiftly interupted with the door to the girl's room bursting open. In a flash Elena felt Damon rip away from her body to address whoever had entered. It was the nurse, and Elena felt Damon's touch being replaced with the friendly arms of Bonnie Bennett.

"We called Jenna, she's coming to pick you up."

Elena nodded in reply, managing to crack a smile at her friend.

"Okay Miss Gilbert, the nurse is here just to check on you. I need to be returning to class, along with you Miss Bennett."

"Sure thing, Mr Salvatore," said Bonnie.

Even though her stomach was still wobbling terribly, Elena looked over her shoulder to see Damon standing by the doorway, looking at her with concern. She didn't want the nurse to check on her, she didn't want Jenna to pick her up and take her home. Elena wanted Damon to be the one taking care of her, not leaving her.

"Take care of yourself, Miss Gilbert" he said his voice suddenly sounding a little dry and corse... had it been that way all morning?

A sad smile curled onto his lips while no one was looking. Elena smiled back, feeling her eyes water.

"Thank you, Mr Salvatore" she replied, hating the fact she couldn't allow his name to escape her lips.

Bonnie gave her a quick squeeze before standing up to follow their teacher.

"Call me later okay?"

"I will" Elena said, watching her friend disappear and the nurse step in.

Before long Elena was in the car and being driven home by Aunt Jenna. As she began to drift into a restful sleep, her phone vibrated against her leg.

I NEW MSG

DAMON:

HOPE YOU'RE FEELING BETTER SOON BEAUTIFUL. EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE. I PROMISE. X

And as she re-read the text several times, Elena put her phone away and fell into a comfortable slumber with a smile.

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><p><strong>Damon's POV.<strong>

Damon re-read the message he sent to Elena numerous times, a deep frown on his face, sitting in his now empty classroom.

EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE. I PROMISE. X

He clenched his jaw, reading the last few words once more before dropping his phone to his desk that was littered with several unmarked essays. He pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a huge headache coming on with the amount of thoughts that bustled through his overly-worked and exhausted brain. First there was Alaric, whoms harsh reminder of the death of their friendship still burned in Damon's throat. Then now, there was Isobel, who seemed to keep her word on how she would consider '_making things her business' _the day she turned up to his apartment while he and Elena were hidden inside.

Their run in at the faculty lounge certainly proved of that.

"_I know your secret Damon. I've known for a while."_

Just remembering the way she uttered those words made his whole body tremble.

"_What are you talking about, Isobel?"_

"_I'm talking about your little forbidden escapades with one of your students."_

"_... excuse me?"_

"_Don't play dumb with me, Damon. I saw Elena Gilbert's bag that day at your apartment. She was inside wasn't she? The reason you ditched our date. The reason you wouldn't let me into your home."_

While she spoke, Damon remembered how he shook his head, folded his arms and laughed at her ridiculous accusations. But now he feared that may have made it worse. Surely if it was actually untrue, he would have hit the roof from the get-go, or stopped her from speaking, or something other than what he did. He found himself staring back at his phone, picking it up and re-reading the text he sent to Elena.

"_The only part of your outrageous accusations that rings true, is the fact I had Elena Gilbert's bag. She had forgotten it after a meeting about her work, I took it home for safe keeping."_

"_So leaving it in class would have been a huge problem? You felt the need to take her goddamn bag home with you? I find that to be..."_

"_Oh but you find me and the girl being together much more believable? You seriously need to stop over-analyzing my life and actions when you have no right to do so, Isobel."_

Damon suddenly felt his mood uplift at remembering what he said. It kind of balanced out his try-hard attempt of being innocent when she first mentioned her suspicions. But nevertheless, the whole conversation was hideous and went from bad to worse.

"_Well you cannot blame someone for wondering Damon. It **is** pretty suspicious. And if my actions are out of order maybe you should inform John Gilbert about it? Y'know, the Head of our Department? I'm sure he'd love to hear how people are accusing you of relations with his niece... I wonder whose side he would be on."_

"_I'm sure he'd be appalled. As am I that you are insinuating such a thing. But hey, considering you have zero evidence of which to go by, I think many would believe you're wasting your breath. Of which you are."_

"_Oh really?"_

_..._

"_Absolutely..."_

Damon twirled his phone around his in hand, unable to shake the uneasy feeling that settled with him after Isobel spoke her last, few words.

"_Well... we'll see about that won't we?"_

_And then with a flutter of her eyelashes, she had left the room._

Damon looked at the text he sent Elena for the umpteeth time.

EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE. I PROMISE. X

...

If only he could convince himself...

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><p><em>And so ends Chapter 17!<em>

_Okay I have a hundred and one scenarios on how to continue this. I don't know which to pick, haha! But yes, we're heading into the middle of the end. So please, pretty please, leave your reviews!_

_Anna x_


	18. Chapter 18

_Hey everyone!_

_So sorry for the late update! I was planning on updating much sooner but I've just started a new job so everything has been up in the air. However I've managed to craft this little chapter for you all, so I hope you like it. Though perhaps some of you may want to throttle me after this... we'll have to wait and see. On with Chapter 18...  
><em>

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><p><strong><span>ELENA'S POV<span>**

"You didn't have to pretend you wanted to skip school for the day Elena. We would have understood."

"I know Bonnie, but I haven't thrown up in the middle of school since we were kids."

"Yeah and we haven't skipped school since we were kids either..."

Elena tightened her grip on the phone, stumped for an answer to Bonnie's statement and noting on the clock above her mirror that she was running late.

"That's true, but I was... I was just feeling weird."

"Weird?"

"Yeah weird. Look Bonnie, I have to go."

"Go? Where are you going?"

Elena yanked her scarf from out of her drawer, getting tired of answering her friend's questions. Why could people never leave her be anymore!

"To the doctors. Just to make sure I'm okay."

"But you said you were fine."

"Bonnie do you _HAVE_ to analyze every single little thing that comes out of my mouth? You're becoming as bad as Jenna, even my Uncle John isn't as persistent as what you are these days!"

"Fine. Sorry for worrying about my best friend."

And with that, Bonnie hung up on Elena. For the first time ever.

Elena stared down at the phone as though it had just bitten her ear and she tossed it aside onto her bed. She was at the end of her tether with everyone trying to worm their way in to every move she made and every word she said. Yes she was hiding her relationship with Damon, but apart from Alaric no one could be any wiser. This ever constant need to be protected was suffocating her to the point where she wondered why she stayed around at all.

Perhaps that was something she could bring up with Damon.

A small smile crept onto her lips as she wrapped her scarf around her neck, ready to face the early winter breeze. She wasn't that cold, but it made it look convincing to Aunt Jenna that she wasn't well, and why it was for the best that she didn't attend school today. It gave her time to think in the warmth of her bed that she and Damon were safe, that they had Alaric's word and that everything was going to be okay.

Now school was out for the day, Elena felt her mood instantly uplift knowing in half an hours time she would be in Damon's arms. Whether it would be for one minute or one hour it would be worth it. Of course, her visit to the doctors was a complete lie, but an easy one to get by with when it came to her friends. Now it was time to get on Jenna's good side. She was still a little weary of allowing Elena to leave whenever she wanted after her '_I needed time alone act'_ a few weeks go when really she had her body wrapped around Damon's in the expanse of his huge bed. But hopefully she had finally come round and Elena had earned her trust back, even though she would be lying about her excuse on leaving anyway.

_So many lies._

Elena shuddered, then instantly shrugged her worries away. She spent too much time worrying these days.

Rounding the corner and stepping into the quiet kitchen, Elena found her Aunt busying writing at the table. She looked up from her paper, frowning a little at her niece. Elena spoke before she was cut off.

"I'm just gonna go get some air for a while. Is that okay?"

Elena noted the scrutiny of Jenna's stare, as if she was trying to find some sort of giveaway clue that Elena was not really going out for some air, but really to see her teacher-boyfriend for a much needed talk and make out session. Jenna sighed and slowly smiled.

"Just don't be gone too long."

"I won't" Elena smiled, turning on her heel and heading to the front door.

"And keep your phone switched on!"

"I will!" Elena said, quickly scurrying out of the door before Jenna could change her mind.

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><p>Elena wasted no time in making her way to the quarry. She walked hard and fast until she felt her leg muscles begin to burn. Then it became a steady jog, soon shedding the itchy scarf around her neck. Silently, she remembered where she told Damon to meet her. Just beyond the waterfall but still where they wouldn't be seen. Elena smiled as she jumped onto the grassland and made her way to the sound of running water, barely able to contain her excitement at the thought of jumping freely into his embrace and kissing him senseless. It felt like forever since she had done that when it was only three days ago that they were swimming naked in Dunham lake and making their own waves by the shore. Could they possibly be about to repeat those memories? Elena felt her stomach knot with intense desire at the thought, but reminded herself as she dodged a few rocks that they very nearly came close to discovery yesterday. Too close. And perhaps it was for the best they didn't indulge in those kind of activities in the outdoors of Mystic Falls. Talk about playing with fire.<p>

And finally she was there. _HE_ was there, staring out over the lonely waterfall; standing tall, arms folded, not noticing she was behind him. Elena planned to sneak up on him, but her foot landed on a twig that snapped clean in two, the sound echoing around them and causing Damon to turn around.

Elena felt her stomach drop to the muddy ground. The light in those astounding blue eyes that she expected to see were dark, lifeless and to put it quite simply: tired.

But still, he smiled warmly and Elena returned it.

Wordlessly she walked into his arms and wrapped her own around his broad shoulders, breathing in his scent, hiding her face against the crook of his warm neck and delving her fingers into those raven locks at the nape of his neck.

"I've missed you," she breathed, pressing a kiss against his neck. He normally responded with a pleasing moan, but he was silent. Elena moved back to kiss the underside of his jaw, brushing her lips against his two-day stubble. Then she captured the very edge of his still lips, making sure her tongue dipped into the crease of his mouth that ALWAYS got him reeling. But when he still wasn't reacting to her touch, she simply tugged him down into a searing kiss which he responded to half-heartedly. Something was seriously wrong.

Before she could ask, his hands were on hers that had subconsciously made their way to his face. He brought them down between them, his thumbs brushing back and forth against her knuckles.

"I have something to tell you, Elena. And you're not gonna like it."

If her stomach had dropped before, it had now ploughed it's way through several layers of earth. Elena gripped his hands, searching desperately in those troubled blue eyes.

"What is it Damon? Tell me."

He blinked up at her and rested his forehead against hers. Elena closed her eyes and waited for the blow.

"Isobel knows."

* * *

><p><strong>DAMON'S POV<strong>

The gasp that escaped Elena's lips was so harsh it made Damon wince. Before she could tumble into a state of panic, Damon grasped her shoulder's.

"How is this happening?" she said, struggling to swallow and breathe properly. Damon stroked his hands through her hair in an attempt to soothe her.

"She saw your school bag that day at my apartment. Why she's chosen to bring it up now after so long I dunno but... hey, hey, look at me"

Damon lifted her head by the chin to make sure she looked at him. She looked crushed, more so than the whole Alaric-fiasco and with good reason. He stared into those longing, brown eyes that looked up at him, clearly hoping he had the answer to this solve this problem as he had done with Alaric. He couldn't fathom where to begin and Damon Salvatore rarely found himself speechless.

"So what do we do now?" she whispered, the hope still glittering in her eyes.

Damon still found himself silent. The crashing water of the waterfall deafening between them. Finally he had to look away from her and stared out to water, but Elena's hand quickly pushed against his tightened jaw to force him to look at her.

"Don't drag this out Damon" she said through gritted teeth, "Just... just tell me what you're thinking."

"I wish I knew 'Lena.."

"Then just tell me how it stands. This. Us. What happens now?"

Damon breathed deep and suddenly found himself wandering off to the waters edge, staring down at the water below and getting lost it's movements. A deep pain slowly settled into his heart.

"I don't know how much Isobel knows. At all. She makes out like she knows more than she is letting on, but I don't know for sure. She's crafty, clever and more than willing to tell anyone and everyone about us. That's the one thing I have no doubt on."

Damon looked back to find Elena stood in the same spot, struggling to hold back her tears that he knew would eventually fall.

"Although I feel like I convinced her that she'd got it wrong, she didn't seemed entirely fooled. It's out there now Elena. And it could only be a matter of time until it's public knowledge."

"Oh my God," she gasped, crumbling to pieces in front of him. Damon stepped over and pulled her into his arms, resting his head atop of hers while he hummed back the tight, dry lump in his throat. "This can't be happening..."

"But it is Elena. And we need to step back and think about this."

"We could just be more careful" she said, looking up from his chest, her tiny hands gripping his waist. Damon didn't give her the look she was searching for. His defeated frown stayed exactly where it was. He'd accepted it. They had lost.

"It's too dangerous, Elena."

"No, no I'm not letting this happen" she hissed, her hands that gripped his waist were now on his chest and tugging at his crumpled shirt.

"Believe me Elena I don't want it too, but we have to think about this seriously. This isn't a situation where we were _ALMOST_ caught, we have two of my fucking collegues who know about us. We're lucky we don't hear sirens right now."

"Just stop! Stop I don't wanna hear this," she sobbed, her petite body began to shake with each word that escaped his mouth but Damon knew he couldn't sugar coat this. Finally she pushed away from him and began to pace back and forth, unable to look his way.

He could understand why she was acting this way. They were on the cusp of ending their relationship, at least for now and it wasn't something either of them wanted. It was tearing Damon apart inside. But at the same time he was angry that she was refusing to hear the truth when it was screaming to be heard.

"I can't believe you're giving up on us," uttered her next words that were spoken low, resentful and full of anger.

Damon lost it.

"You think I'm giving up?" he said, she finally blinked up, thinking about what she said but still nodding at him. "Do you think I'm being a selfish prick for telling you that I'm scared? Scared of being thrown into that court room and being convicted of corrupting a minor, abusing my teaching position, being permenently marked on a fucking sex offenders register and losing all hope of ever living a normal life? Can you now let it compute into your fucking head that all it takes is for Isobel to open her mouth for all that to happen to me?"

It wasn't under Damon stopped to breathe that he realized he had cold tears rolling down his cheeks as he stared at Elena, feeling his whole world just crack into pieces.

"I love you Elena. Like nothing else on this planet. But for now we have to stop."

Another difficult silence, say for the thundering waterfall, fell between the two. Elena quietly made her way over to him to cradle his face in her hands. Damon relished the feel of her soft, warm palms caressing his skin, wiping away the tears that had begun to dry. He had never been so emotionally vulnerable in front of someone before. He expected to feel pathetic, inadequate, heck probably even worried he'd frightened her for getting so upset. Instead he felt relieved, honest and above all comforted as she kissed the pearl drop tears that had beaded at his stubbled chin.

"I love you too, Damon" she whispered against his lips. "I'm just scared i'll loose you."

"If we continue you more than likely will," he replied.

"This is just too painful," she shook, then kissing him harder than she had ever kissed him before. It surprised Damon, but he responded with equal need, devouring her lips in a sensual battle to prove his deeply rooted love for her.

Her fingertips clawed through his hair, down his body and it took for him to finally open his eyes to see she was unbuttoning his shirt, her shaking fingers fumbling to get the last one free. Damon shrugged out of the material and felt the cool, afternoon breeze blast over his body that was quickly being explored by Elena's hands once more. As though she were imprinting the feel of his skin in her memory. Perhaps thinking it would be the very last time.

But Damon silently promised himself that he would do everything in his power to make sure this would be one time of many, many more to come that they would be able to physically show their love for one another.

* * *

><p><strong>ELENA'S POV<strong>

As Damon carried her body to a more secluded place beside the waterfall where no eyes could spy on them, Elena stared closely at him. At his hair, his eyes, his nose, his lips, wanting this image of him to stay close with her. Lord knows when she would get this close to him again. It took everything she had to hold back her tears. She didn't want this moment ruined with her sobbing. And as he carefully laid her down onto the cool grass that cocooned her from the rest of the world, Elena's sadness was all but forgotten. Replaced with the lust that instantly raged like fire as she stared up at Damon.

Her clothes were quickly removed from her body as were his. She moaned at the feel of his hips settling against hers, his mouth caressing her nipples and large hands stroking her thighs that had instinctively lifted upwards to hug his lower body. She loved this feeling as though it were the first time. It never lost the thrill. She was lost in a world of his touch as she closed her eyes and breathed his name.

But as she felt the tip of his manhood tease her entrance, she had to open her eyes to see the pleasure wash over his perfect face as he slowly eased his entire length inside of her. Both simultaneously moaning at the sensation. It was like coming home for Elena. Damon was her home. Her everything. Why were they even bothering to stick around Mystic Falls when...

"Oh!"

Damon took her by surprise as he pulled her up with him to settle back on his knees. Just as they were the first time they made love. Through heavy eyes Elena caught the sunlight casting over his face, giving him a warm glow while his eyes penetrated like the ocean blue as she began to draw her hips up and down. Slowly impaling herself on his cock, teasing them both and causing Damon to moan deeper than she had ever heard before.

"Jesus Elena, you're killing me" he breathed, flopping his head back as he allowed her to take control. Elena obliged, pushing him backwards so he was flat on his back. Her skin bloomed at the feel of his hands ghosting across the curve of her behind to the underside of her breasts. As much as Elena wanted to take him slow, it was too much to resist to ride him hard and fast.

A cheeky smile curled onto her lips as she watched his eyes squint shut with pleasure. She rolled harder, making sure her clit brushed against his pubic bone for that extra added friction that got her worked into a frenzy. The crashing waterfall thankfully drowned out her cries that grew louder as hot pins and needles travelled the length of her body as an unexpected orgasm hit her hard.

"D-Damon-oh Damon!"

The moment her body floated back to earth her eyes met his for a single second before he grabbed her hips. He held her in place as he proceeded to thrust mercilessly into her swollen heat. Crashing his hips upwards harder and harder each time. Now she Elena was screaming, her hands tunneling through her hair for the lack of anything else to hold on to. She mumbled incoherrent words as another orgasm violently tore through her and all thought was lost.

It was almost as though she had regained consciousness the moment she felt her body being laid on a soft bed of grass with Damon hovering above her.

"Don't stop Damon. Please don't stop" she shivered, still recovering from her last orgasm as Damon slipped his length into her once against with a satisfied groan.

His lips found hers once again. Elena kissed him back, enjoying his slow pace as she drove her hands through his damp hair.

"I'll never stop" he breathed against her parted mouth. Elena felt a single tear escape as she felt another orgasm build. He was pounding harder into her, but his lips never lift hers as his breaths came out in ragged groans as his own release grew closer. Elena watched him closely, occasionally capturing his lips and brushing his dark hair and sweat from his temples. He was beautiful, everything about him so..

"Fuck Elena..." he hissed, doubling his efforts, hitting that perfect point inside her that got her reeling once more.

"Damon I'm gonna, gonna..."

His hands found hers raised above her head. She gripped them hard, feeling the sweat between their tight fingers as he drilled into her shaking body until his own release claimed his body, as did Elena's for the third time.

And as his tense body finally settled atop of hers, Elena allowed the tears to fall.

"I love you Damon."

And after a few shaky breaths, Damon brushed his face away from her neck to look into her eyes.

"I love you too, Elena."

She couldn't tell whether it was sweat or tears that rolled down his face. But she suspected that it was the latter.

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><p><em>Eep.. what do we all think? Please pop in a review. I can't wait to read them! You're all amazing and spur me on to write more!<em>

_I've got BIG plans for the next few chapters. A run in with Isobel... Tyler's house party... the rebirth of Team Badass maybe? All will be revealed._

_Anna xxx_


	19. Chapter 19

_Hello there everyone!_

_So first things first, what did you all think to the S3 premiere! I personally loved it. Some amazing Delena scenes (necklace and bourbon sharing anyone?) Can't wait for the next episode. One more sleep!_

_So here I am with Chapter 19. Had some serious Writer's Block with this one, but it was also fun to write. I really hope it comes across well... it's a bit of a shocker..._

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><p><strong><span>DAMON'S POV<span>**

Wednesday morning... this week was going so. Fucking. _Slow._

Damon couldn't believe that in the space of a few days he and Elena had gone from blissful couple making love in front of a warm fire at the log cabin to ending their relationship completely because not one, but _two _of his work colleagues had discovered them. It was insane and disastrously unlucky.

But at least Damon had the comfort of knowing their relationship was only over for a while. It wasn't forever.

Damon felt certain that if Isobel had no evidence to fall back on, then he and Elena would be safe. Isobel Flemming was a conniving little bitch right from the moment she had set her sights on him. And it was pretty clear she was willing to go to huge lengths to make sure that he was tightly wrapped around her little finger. But not for much longer...

Yep. As Damon breezed through the hallways towards his classroom, he felt certain that if he and Elena remained apart for a few weeks then the fire would eventually burn out. Isobel would have nothing and Alaric would hopefully forgive and forget.

Speaking of Alaric, the man came walking around the corner at that very second. The two ex-best buds eyed one another as they drew closer with each step. Damon nodded in his direction respectfully while Alaric simply rejected it and looked straight ahead. Damon was tempted to tell Alaric he had broke it off with Elena, right there in the middle of the hallway. But he bit his tongue and continued walking. No doubt he and Alaric would talk another day. Damon felt he deserved a break from emotional anguish and torment. At least for a day y'know?

He avoided the faculty lounge. No doubt Isobel was in there with her sly, lipstick coated smile poking from the rim of a coffee mug. Jesus, the woman made his entire body shudder. Apart from his father, Damon had never hated someone so much in all his life.

Once inside his classroom, Damon closed the door. He usually left it open for the occasional passer-by to shout their good-mornings but there was nothing good to preach about these days. He saw his lesson plans waiting on his desk where he'd left them the day before. Loosening his tie, he needed to keep his mind occupied from Isobel, Alaric and above all from Elena as much as he possibly could. Knowing yesterday was the last time he would be with her that way for a long time, it caused a horrible thumping sensation to repeatedly club through his chest.

A bunch of average fourteen year olds were his first batch of the day. They would certainly be keeping him busy for the first hour of his morning. Leaning back in his chair, Damon began flipping through his papers... when several, smaller sheets came falling out onto the floor.

"What the?" Damon frowned, not recalling what they were as he placed his lesson plans on the table to pick them up. He shuffled them into a pile in his hands and leaned back once again to inspect them.

He so much as turned one around and he found himself standing up, throwing them onto his desk as though they had just burned through several layers of his skin.

They were scanned photographs from yesterday afternoon;

Of himself and Elena talking.

Himself and Elena kissing.

Himself and Elena partially hidden by the grass in the throws of passion.

The last picture was of himself and Elena hugging their goodbyes, with two words written in thick, black marker pen over it.

**"_I know."_**

The message chilled Damon to the bone. Those two small words carved deep inside of him and a wave of emotions slammed into his body; shock, fear, panic but the last of them stuck with him like a hard glue. It was anger.

He violently tore away at each and every picture. "You evil, twisted _bitch" _he spat, each word rasped between ripping the paper into shreads until they were tiny, snowflake-like flurries in his palms.

"You wasted your energy," came _her_ voice from the doorway.

Damon looked up to find Isobel leaning against the door frame, her hand sporting a meticulous fan of photographs of himself with Elena. She was grinning with satisfaction, like she'd just revealed a Royal Flush in a game of poker. Damon balled his right hand into a tight fist.

"I've made a fair few prints of your little day trip with Elena Gilbert. You're lucky I didn't opt for the more x-rated images I managed to capture."

Damon stormed over and he was pleased to see her flinch before he roughly grabbed her shoulder, hauling her into his classroom and slamming the door shut behind them. She still had the pictures fanned out in her hand like they were a prized possession of hers. She was quick to think he was going to back down after pulling her into his room just to have a whispered chat that involved pleading with her to keep quiet. It was exactly what the woman wanted. Damon snatched at the pictures in her hand, even grabbing her fingers and causing them to pop in their sockets.

"Ow!" she winced, finally letting go as Damon proceeded to tear up those pictures as well, remaining silent, composed and in charge. He watched with cold eyes, still shreading paper, as she casually leaned back against his desk, giving him The Look. "You're lucky I don't add assault to the growing list of things against you Damon."

Wordlessly, Damon walked over to the bin beside his desk and tossed the snow-like pieces of evidence into it. He could _feel _her sneering from behind him, and Damon was more than ready to put her in her place.

"So let me guess," he began, turning on his heel with a clever smirk to face her, a look she clearly didn't expect to see him wearing, "you thought you'd expose me by printing out these photos and placing them all over the school, am I right?"

She cocked her head to the side, clearly wondering what he was getting at. Damon accentuated his smirk, knowing it was already getting under skin and making her itch to know what was rolling around in his brain. She then laughed heartily,

"Well that _is _the plan should you decide to turn down what I have to offer. Which would ultimately protect you."

"Oh yeah, and what is that exactly?" he said, demanding the answer to her cryptic, little ways as he stepped closer.

"That if you break up with Elena Gilbert, then I would save you from exposure."

"Well tough shit honey, because the entire time your perverted, beady lil' eyes watched us make love through the camera lens yesterday, you were in fact watching our goodbye. Me and Elena - we're over. So your bargain is useless."

She was momentarily thrown as Damon sneered down at her, making her lean further back against the table. But the steely determination in her eyes said she had other ideas. Damon felt like he could punch several holes in the wall with frustration at her pointless quest to have him for herself.

"And you expect me to believe that?"

"Or what? You're still going to expose me? Then good luck with handling your own interrogation into the matter. The police would surely want to know why you never said a single fucking word before you decided to stalk me. Don't you think?"

Her mouth parted to speak, but no words or snide comment came back. Damon plowed onwards, determined to see her power diminish into nothing.

"Did you save those images from your camera on your computer too? Hell it wouldn't surprise me if it was on the school's hard drive. Yeah the shit would hit the fan for me, no question about that. But you're a _fool_ Isobel if you think you'd come out of this unscathed... Now get out."

A heavy silence followed. Damon a few, mere inches from her face as he hurled his hard facts and abuse directly into her face. She remained still, staring up at him with shallow breaths.

"Do I need to tell you twice, Isobel?" he said sternly, unfaltering in his stance.

"Not at all. I know when I'm not wanted."

"_Clearly_" drawled Damon in a sarcastic manner.

"I wouldn't get clever, Damon. Yes, I may get my hands slapped for keeping schtum. I'd probably even lose my job, but I'm as good as done with the snot-nosed, cocky lil' bastards in this place... I think the trouble would be worth it if I got what I wanted."

Her eyes suddenly glinted with desire, trailing up and down the length of his tall body. Frustrated, Damon released an infuriated growl, wondering when the woman would grow a shread of decency inside of her and leave him the fuck alone. She was deluded.

"You don't get it do you? I would rather stick hot needles into my eyes, repeatedly, than be with you . So again, your plan goes bust."

"Who says I care what you think?" she spat.

Damon stopped to process her words, along the determined, confident look on her features. She wasn't really suggesting...

"You're psychotic" he said. Plain and simple. Like it was an everyday thing to say. She laughed silently, flicking her dark hair over her shoulders flirtatiously.

"I just know that if I want something then I make sure I get it."

"What you _want_ is a fucking Doctor, Isobel. And you need to get that fact lodged into your skull. Are you hearing yourself? You'd be happy blackmailing me into being with you? It's _sick_."

"No, what's sick is you sleeping with an underage girl."

"Get out," Damon stammered, very close to losing it.

"Break it off, _for good, _with Elena, and allow me to have my fun with you and i'll never say a single word about your little fling with her."

"Not gonna happen," Damon said, now marching over to the door and opening it for her. "You need to leave."

"Or what?"

"Or I'm going to drag you by the hair and haul your ass out of here myself. And don't think for a _second_ that I won't."

The bell blasted through the room and hallways, signaling that there had to be a conclusion between the two of them. Damon was sure he had the upper hand, even though he felt the palm of his hand on the door handle shaking a little.

Isobel saunted over towards the door, almost looking like she was about to leave. Damon silently cheered, blowed party poppers and even a popped bottle of champagne to celebrate the demise of Isobel Flemming in his head. But as she stopped beside him, she gave him one last, cold stare.

"You have until the end of the day. Decide against my offer and the first person I'll be seeing is Jonathan Gilbert. I'm sure he'll _lurrrrve_ to see the photographic evidence of your sexual encounters with his niece. Don't you?"

And with that, Isobel left Damon Salvatore's classroom.

* * *

><p><strong>ELENA'S POV<strong>

Bonnie had barely spoken a word to Elena all day. Elena hadn't made much of an effort either. And now they were sat next to one another in History class, the atmosphere was unbearable.

Elena glanced to her left to find Bonnie sneaking a peak at her. Both girls shifted in their seats and looked back to their teacher at the front of the room. Normally everything would have sorted itself out now, they'd have made up about their little argument over the phone, laughed over it and got on with life as normal. But not even Caroline's persistent whining for them to spill about their spat could get them to talk and iron things out. Elena felt as though Bonnie was slowly but surely finding out her secret with Damon. She couldn't afford to shed _any _light on that. Bonnie would _never _keep quiet about it. Not because it was gossip, but because Elena knew Bonnie would do it for fear of her well-being. She could see it all before her now and it left a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Then as she glanced back at Bonnie to find she wasn't looking back, Elena realized she'd not only lost Damon, but she was losing her best friend too. She was losing everyone...

_Bonnie will come round eventually. Me and Damon aren't over forever... everything is going to be fine. It has to be. _- she chanted these words like a mantra through her mind all day. She did believe them. Because she and Damon had pressed pause, what was there for anyone to be suspicious about? A tiny smile danced on her rosy lips as she tried to focus on her class, writing down notes extensively to keep herself busy and, most importantly, to keep herself actually on top of her work which had been lacking lately.

Such as her essay for Da- Mr Salvatore that she didn't manage to hand in thanks to her panic attack that left her puking in the toilet on Monday morning. She felt her face flare a little at how humiliating that was. But anyway, she felt it wouldn't be a huge deal if she decided to drop in her essay. It's a normal student-ly thing to do right? She'd be in and out. They'd share a smile. Nothing more.

Though Elena knew she'd end up _looking_ at him, then to his desk, remembering their heated sex session against it's surface a few weeks ago. Her stomach skipped with pleasure at the memory. Even though they'd firmly put the brakes on, the sorrow wasn't the despair she thought she would feel, because it was only a matter of time until all would be well again. Give it a few weeks, maybe months, but Elena Gilbert was more than prepared to wait until it was safe to be with Damon Salvatore.

Moments later their teacher dismissed them from class just before the bell signaled the end of the school day. Elena rolled her eyes at the sight of Stefan and Matt actually high-fiving one another. Boys.

Elena's eye caught Bonnie's. She smiled a little at her, but Bonnie's lips remained in a firm, straight line as she packed her books away. Thank goodness Caroline came bouncing over with a beaming smile.

"So have you two made up yet?"

The girls shared a look, which confirmed all was not well to Caroline, who mimed a clear "oooo-kaaay" and swung on her heels awkwardly.

"I'll see you later," Elena sighed to no one in particular, picking up her bag from the desk.

"You're not walking with us?" Caroline asked.

"Nah, I need to hand in this essay" Elena said, pulling out the sheets from her bag.

"For Mr Salvatore?"

Elena looked up at Bonnie, who gave her an unreadable look. Elena swallowed the thick lump that had suddenly bulged in her throat. She nodded casually, like it was nothing, trying to act as normal as she knew she could. But ultimately, she felt like it was making it more obvious.

"Yeah and?"

Bonnie shrugged as she rounded the table.

"Doesn't surprise me. It's where you spend most of your time these days," she stated in an annoying, sugary-sweet voice. Elena didn't react to it, and just watched as her 'friend' walked out of the room with the rest of the class. Caroline stood, gawping, then bursting into a little giggle.

"She's _seriously_ crushing on that English teacher of ours."

"Yeah...I guess so," Elena mumbled, not entirely sure what to say. She just wanted Caroline to go. As horrible as that sounded.

"Well whatever is going on between you both, just make sure you sort it out soon. It's starting to bug me."

Caroline planted a friendly kiss on Elena's cheek, with a friendly squeeze of the shoulder to go with it, then went skipping out of the room.

When it came to her friends these days, Elena suddenly developed a terrible headache. It was as though every friend issue had knotted up inside her head and she didn't know where to start with unraveling it. But whatever, she wasn't going to start just yet. Caroline and Bonnie in particular, were not what she needed right now.

What she needed was to see Damon. She couldn't wait another week to eye-stalk him at her desk while he spoke to the rest of the class. If only he taught all of her English classes, then she might feel a little better about the whole situation.

Elena felt a mixture of dread and excitement stir inside as she approached the English department. Excited to see her lover, terrified she'd bump into Isobel. It took a lot of Elena to hate someone. Isobel had successfully climbed her way to the top. Possibly snatching the number one spot from her Uncle, whom she also knew she could be cornered by as she swung open the doors to the building.

_Please don't see me, _she pleaded silently, hiding behind her silky curtain of dark hair as she passed door after door. She passed Mr Saltzman's room, which was closed anyway. Then her heart kicked into overdrive as she loomed closer to Isobel's... which was thankfully empty.

Now only to dodge her Uncle until she would make it to Damon's room without a hitch. Breathing suddenly became that little bit easier...

* * *

><p><strong>DAMON'S POV<strong>

No sooner had the bell indicated that another Wednesday was over, Isobel was at his door wanting the verdict. He gave her the filthiest look he could pull, and it was a good one, as he angry threw the chairs under the table that most student's failed to do. The sound of metal chair legs clanking on the table's made her jump. Damon smiled.

"So what'll it be?" she bellowed over his deliberate racket. Damon heard the door close heavily, leaving just the two of them, like this morning, alone in his classroom.

"You heard what I said this morning," Damon stated, not looking at her as he marched over to his desk, closing all his books, folders, the usual ritual before he left.

"And you heard what I had to say. Would you like me to repeat it for you? Because I don't think you quite understand how close I am to telling all that I know about you Damon."

She was lurking behind his shoulder, hammering the words into his ear while he continued to pack away like he hadn't heard a thing.

"Car keys..." he mumbled to himself, feeling his pockets, then moving around his desk.

He almost swung for her when she grabbed his bicep with nails so sharp they were like the talon's of a powerful eagle.

"Be with me, or i'll _destroy _you Damon."

In a flash so quick Damon found his hand gripping Isobel's chin, making her gasp a little at the impact. Did he care? He probably should have done, but he didn't. It was satisfying to see her eyes bulge a little with fear. She was Hellbent on ruining his life for her own twisted pleasure, he felt that he'd earned the right to scare her.

"_I. Said. No." _he growled, bringing her face so close to his until he could feel her stale, coffee-laced breath on his lips. He released her, hard enough until she went tumbling against one of the tables.

"Is she really that worth it?" she rasped, rubbing her chin painfully.

"Whatever you have to say, I don't give a-"

"Is she really worth _years _behind bars Damon? Inmates don't take too kindly to paedophile's you know. You'd be in for a rough time. Not to mention those cold, lonely, _sleepless _nights while you lay in your pityful excuse of a bunk in your cell, and she'll be living it up at college, getting drunk at parties, boasting about how she got it on with the hot teacher in high school. Can you _imagine _how that will make you feel while you slowly, ever so slowly count down the days until you're a free man again? But then it wouldn't end there would it? Because it will stay with you for _life_. From one shitty, dead end job to another while she has the whole wide world at her feet... Yeah, that sounds about right."

Somewhere in the middle of her speech, she had made it to his side, pressing her body against his arm while she spoke the words in a soft, haunting tone into his ear. Damon glared down at her like she was a bad, pungent odour that wouldn't leave.

"Elena is not like that. If this were you we were talking about, then yeah I'd say it was pretty spot on."

"Fine, so what if she is Little Miss Fucking Perfect. Cut her out of the picture and what I said is _still _the truth."

...

And unfortunately... it actually was.

Damon shrugged her away from body.

"But to agree to this blackmailing scheme of yours would be like a prison sentence anyway," he eyed up and down her body, smirking a little. "Perhaps being roughed up by the inmates would be a little more bearable than yourself."

No sooner as he said it, Isobel was pulling her phone out of her dress pocket.

"Lets cut to the chase," she spat, Damon watched with blazing eyes as she dialled in three numbers, "Hope you have your running shoes."

Damon didn't waste anytime talking and quickly yanked the phone out of her hand as the distant sound of "911 what is your emergency?" echoed down the receiver. He hung up the call. Feeling his heart thunder through his body and sweat gather between his fingers, at his temple and he was even sure he'd began to sweat through his ears with panic.

"What is your _problem!"_ he hissed, pointing to his head with her phone and almost turning red with rage. She was fucking insane. She seemed to know that. And now she was laughing, loving her little games with him.

"It's not me who has the problem Damon, dear" she cooed, "all you have to do is be with me until I'm bored with you. Which i'll be honest, may not be for a while. Say until the school year is out?"

"Until Chistmas."

"Uhh no. Until the _school _year is out."

"I'll give you until Christmas. Then we're done."

"You do not have any decision in this Damon," she stated, closing in on him. "What's a few more months? You've already done the hard part of breaking up with her. And really, am I _that _hard on the eyes for you?"

"Yes, really," Damon sighed, feeling his whole life drain down the dirty, soiled toilet that he imagined in his head.

"C'mon," she urged, sliding her hands up his shirt, making sure her fingers pressed against his chest muscles. Already, Damon felt violated under her touch.

But he thought hard. _Very _hard. Prison, or Isobel. Both were as bad, but he had a shot of escaping from the latter.

Isobel had won.

"The school year," Damon said as a confirmation to himself, struggling to actually say the words. Isobel slid her hands around the back of his neck.

"_Just _the school year," she said with a winning smile and flutter of her eyelashes.

"For your sake it better be," Damon warned, drawing her closer, taking her by surprise as he flipped the switch to his "come hither" eyes that he had perfected in his college years. She was coming undone before his stare, her fingers at the nape of his neck gathering the obsidian coloured hair at the back of his head, her body melting against his.

"Why is that?" she replied, clearly unable to believe her luck.

Damon with a devilish smile and a twinkle in his eyes, drew down to her lips.

"Because if you double-crossed _me_, Isobel" he whispered, ever so quietly against her lips, "then _I _will destroy _you."_

He waited until he saw the dilation of fear in her eyes before forcing himself to kiss her, sealing his promise of destruction with a fierce, angry, almost savage attack of her lips that had her whimpering for air.

As he kept his eyes tight shut, he heard a whimper that didn't belong to Isobel. Then heard it again, which caused him to actually stop his angry assault on Isobel's lipstick smeared mouth to look.

Oh God...

...

"No..." she weeped, her whole body shaking at the doorway. The essay papers rustling in her limp hand by her side.

Damon never took his eyes off Elena as he watched the devastation hit her in a matter of seconds.

"Elena," he began, his voice actually trembling as he pulled away from Isobels' grasp, who he knew in the back of his troubled mind was beaming with satisfaction behind him, thrilled in knowing Elena had walked in the exact moment they kissed.

Damon however, was experiencing a feeling he hadn't yet felt. A severe pain yet numbing in his whole body simultaneously. It was indescribable. It was something he didn't want to feel ever again.

"This can't be..." she sobbed, her voice trailing into silence as the tears began to fall from her heartbroken, yet equally livid stare that broke Damon in two.

"Elena you have to let me explain," he rushed, walking over with determination, reaching out to grab her hands, but was met with her arm colliding into the side of his face. Bone hitting bone. The impact sending a sharp splinter of pain to chisel through his jaw.

Damon was aware, as he shielded his face from her less painful blows, that she wasn't shouting at him. She wasn't screaming. Still, despite seeing him with Isobel, she remained quiet so not to make heads turn their way.

Finally he grabbed her wrists to stop her from hitting him. She flailed in his arms, her hair sticking to her tear sodden cheeks as she writhed for him to release her.

"Elena. Elena please" he repeated, for what felt like a lifetime to make her listen. She had to hear him out. She had to know he and Isobel were nothing. That he was trapped into being with her. That he had no choice. That it was Elena and _only _Elena he wanted.

"Let her go," Isobel warned from behind him. "Damon you cannot treat a student like this."

Her fake, authoritative concern actually made him stop to stare at her with disbelief. She was actually acting as if she were oblivious to the situation. Staring at him like he'd lost his mind.

But then came that little look of warning that shone in her eyes.

_Let her go, or I'll tell everyone... _he could almost hear her thoughts.

He stared down at Elena, unmoving in his arms, her eyes closed with tears. God he wanted to tell her everything, to comfort her, to take her away...

_Why didn't we just go in the first place? _He thought, gently stroking back the hair that clung to Elena's cheek like delicate webs.

But the opportunity to leave had long gone. He could have quit his job, that now he realized he couldn't care less about and suffered the argument for it - if he'd have done that, he would have been fine. He would have waited for Elena to finish the school year, seen each other in secret still, with no one lurking in the shadows.

Too little too late.

Elena shuddered in his arms. She wasn't cold he realized, but she shuddered with disgust. He frowned a little, a whole new wave of hurt pounding in his body as she ripped away from him.

She _hated _him.

Without saying another word, or lifting her eyes from the floor, Elena placed her crumpled essay on his desk and quickly exited the room. Damon closed his eyes, allowing the hurt to sink in as he heard her running footsteps echo down the hallway until he heard the heavy ratting of the doors, then the inevitable sound of them slamming shut behind her.

She was gone.

"Now," he heard Isobel begin, feeling her circle his body.

He opened his eyes tiredly, knowing nothing she could say could make him feel any worse than he did right now.

"Your place or mine?" she added.

* * *

><p><strong>ELENA'S POV<strong>

Elena ran until she felt her lungs burn painfully, until she could no longer see for the tears that blinded her vision. She was somewhere between school and home when she collapsed against someone's tree outside there house, crying, heaving for breath, trying to swallow back the cries that burst from her quivering lips.

"Damon," she whispered, the name painful to say or even think.

It was too much. Everything was just too much for her. The secrets. The promises. The lies. The overwhelming feeling that she was now very much alone, just too much to try and deal with by herself.

She reached for her phone in her bag and dialed the one number she knew would always be there for her no matter what.

It was time to share her secret.

"Hello?"

"Bonnie?... I really, _really_ need to see you."

* * *

><p><em>... was that okay?<em>

_I know, I'm evil. But would you rather it be boring and all lovely-love like Stelena? Ewww! Hehehe._

_Please, please, plllleeeeease leave your reviews to let me know what you thought of this chapter. I can't wait to read them. I'm excited!_

_Thank you, and happy viewing for TVD tomorrow_

_Anna xxx_


	20. Chapter 20

_Hello there to all my beloved Delena fans!_

_I'm glad so many of you enjoyed Chapter 19, I understand I've ruffled up a few feathers but this is how the cookie crumbles sometimes. Isobel is wicked and she makes for a great bad guy, mwhahahaha! It's rubbish for our favourite couple, but you don't **really** expect me to leave them like this do you? ;-)_

_So I'm back a lot earlier than what I thought I would be with Chapter 20, but once I got writing I couldn't stop, and it's completely changed as to how I planned it in my head. I hope you enjoy it._

_P.S - how AMAZING was that final scene between Damon and Elena in 3x02? Ian and Nina nailed it!_

_Anyway, on with the story..._

* * *

><p><strong><span>ELENA'S POV<span>**

Elena noticed in the reflection of her window that her tears were slowly but surely drying up. Her sadness had reduced to sobs that shook her upper body as she curled her arms around her knees, hugging herself in an attempt to feel that little bit better.

But she didn't.

Her mind forcibly kept repeating the moment she found Damon kissing Isobel. It was _him _kissing _her. _If it were the other way round she'd probably feel better about it, but the fact it was the opposite it made it so much worse. She hugged herself tighter, nuzzling her damp cheek against the fuzzy blanket she had draped over her body.

As soul-destroying as it was for her to see, a small part of her felt that she was quick to jump to conclusions. But then she laughed at herself thinking _"you saw him practically devouring her lips... you weren't quick enough to jump to them." _How could she give him the benefit of the doubt in a situation like that? She would be a fool. She'd be the naive, exploited little girl she had always believed she wasn't when she was with Damon...

"_I __**have**__ been a fool this whole time" _she thought silently, feeling another tear manage to seep between her closed eyes.

"_But you know how obsessed that woman is with him.."_

"_He was kissing her."_

"_She knew about you both. What if she made him? Why would Damon do this to you?"_

"_Then why would he KISS HER!"_

Elena threw the blanket from her body and started pacing her room frantically, pulling at her hair, trying to pull away the silent conflict she was having with her conscience. This feeling was awful; she was feeling reassured one second and completely, utterly betrayed the next.

"How could you do this to me?" she sobbed aloud, her body juddering with her tears as she hid her face from the four walls of her bedroom with her hands.

Then the familiar sound of her phone vibrating came to her attention. She looked across to her bed where it was buzzing on her sheets, the screen flashing, enticing her to see who was calling. As she stepped closer she saw it was Damon.

She wanted to answer so badly but she forced herself to look away. Anything he had to say she didn't want to hear.

"_But what if it __**is **__to say he was threatened into it because of Isobel? Why would he be with someone who he expressed so much hatred for?"_

"_What if it's to plead with me not to say a word about what we've done?"_

"_Why would he go to such extreme lengths if he didn't love you?"_

"_What if he is the kind of teacher people read about in the press? What if..."_

"_This is __**Damon! **__He has risked __**everything **__for you!"_

When the phone became silent once more, the argument in Elena's head stopped and she released a heavy breath she didn't realize her lungs were holding.

Then the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Elena shrieked to the house, quickly running down the stairs and opening the door to find Bonnie there waiting for her.

Elena didn't answer to her friends' 'hello' and instead jumped straight into Bonnie's arms and hugged her tight. Bonnie's arms wrapped around her in an instant.

"Elena what's wrong!" Bonnie pushed her back to inspect her. Elena realized she must look a mess, she'd hadn't even looked in a mirror since she'd been home. She'd just locked herself away in her room and prayed Aunt Jenna and Jeremy would leave her be.

"It's... I...I don't..."

"Lets get you inside," Bonnie suggested, keeping a hold of Elena as they went back indoors, hurrying up the stairs to Elena's bedroom.

With each step and Bonnie behind her, Elena tried to think of where to start with what she had to say. But her head was clouded with so many thoughts it was pretty much impossible. As she heard Bonnie close the door behind them, Elena knew it was now or never.

"Can you keep a secret?" she blurted, turning to face Bonnie who looked more than confused.

"You know I can," she stated as though it were the obvious, stepping a little closer to Elena who's body was as stiff as a wooden board.

"Can you keep it no matter how big it is? Or how much you're... against it?"

"Elena you need to tell me what's going on I'm-"

"I need to hear it" Elena shook, feeling more hot tears trail down her face without effort. "Can you keep this secret I'm about to tell you?"

"Of course I can. And I'm sure whatever it is, it's not as bad as you think Elena."

Elena laughed, looking up to the ceiling. Was this the right thing to do?

"But it is," she whispered, her voice breaking as she burst into tears once again. Bonnie was right by her side, sitting her down on her bed, arms around her and cradling her to her side like the hundreds of times before when Elena had been upset about something. From bullying to boyfriends, friends to funerals, Bonnie had been there through it all.

Would she really go and reveal everything if Elena told her?

"Elena please tell me," Bonnie said gently, her voice as soft as a feather and calming to Elena. "Whatever it is, you know I'll keep quiet and you know i'll support you."

"I'm so scared you won't"

"But I _will" _ Bonnie urged.

Elena remained silent for a few moments, deep in thought, knowing Bonnie would give her all the time in the world to think about something. But as she structured her first, semi-decent speech, her phone vibrated once again behind them on the bed.

Like a startled animal Elena reached out to grab it, but her rushed actions caused it to go skimming to the wooden floorboards across the room near her window.

"I'll get it," Bonnie said, laughing at the whole thing. "You're ridiculously clumsy sometimes."

"No it's okay, just leave it!" Elena spat, crawling over her bed to try and grab it before Bonnie.

"Elena what-"

"Just give it to me, Bonnie!" Elena snapped, standing before Bonnie knowing she looked crazy but she couldn't help it. Bonnie frowned and turned the phone over in her hands, the screen still flashing, the light reflecting against her face.

Elena felt her entire stomach drop.

And then in an unexpected move, Bonnie answered it.

"No don't!"

"Hey Stefan...yeah she is, but she's busy. Ah ha... Yeah of course we're still coming to Tyler's party tomorrow! What time does it start?"

Elena stared at Bonnie having a conversation with the last person she expected to be calling. Relief was slowly ebbing into her body. It wasn't Damon calling. It was just Stefan. Just Stefan...

"Okay cool. Well we'll meet you at Tyler's at 9. Sure okay. Bye!"

Bonnie hung up, looked to Elena and laughed a little.

"Please don't tell me this big secret is anything to do with Stefan?"

Elena snatched the phone from Bonnie's open palm. It began vibrating again and _this time _it was Damon. She felt a twang of hurt snap at her heart as she switched her phone off. Then she remembered Bonnie had said something.

"Sorry what did you say?"

"This secret you have. It's nothing about Stefan is it? 'Cuz I'd be a little offended if you felt you couldn't tell me something about that."

"No it's not Stefan" Elena said tiredly, then wishing she had kept quiet because she wouldn't have had to say anything at all.

"Then what is it!" Bonnie pushed, walking around so Elena had to look at her.

"Nothing."

"Don't give me that. Whatever it is. it's got you worried sick and i'd be the worst friend in the world if I didn't do anything about it."

"I understand that Bonnie but I'm sorry, it was a mistake to ask you round, I'm sorry i'll-"

"It's Mr Salvatore isn't it?"

...

The words hit Elena hard. She felt her whole persona change before Bonnie and no amount of denying it would save her. But she would aimlessly try for the sake of it.

"What?" she said with a half sort of smile. A tremor of panic fluttered through her body at the blank expression on Bonnie's face.

"You heard me. Mr Salvatore is this big secret of yours isn't he?"

"How do you know?" Elena said, her voice breaking into barely a whisper. Bonnie shrugged a little, twisting her mouth.

"I know you so well Elena. I could just... tell."

"No. Someone must have told you. Who told you?" Elena asked, her voice on the verge of begging for answers.

"No one did. It's just the way you are when you're around him. You'd just light up. And in a weird way I could see he did too..." Elena found herself sitting back on her bed with Bonnie, listening contently, watching Bonnie reel off her thoughts through her tearful, tender eyes. "And you always needed to go to his class for something and we wouldn't hear from you. The day of the slumber party you said you needed space but my gut-instinct just told me you were with him. And were you actually visiting Meredith at the weekend?"

Elena looked away and slowly shook her head.

"No I wasn't"

"I didn't think so. And on Monday you were acting so strangely, and the way you cried when _he _came into the room. I dunno, it just seemed all of the above just clicked into place."

"What about Caroline?"

"Seriously Elena, do you think I'd tell Caroline my suspicions? It would be all over the school, heck even the town by now" Bonnie chuckled, trying to lighten the situation. Elena smiled weakly, silently appreciating that Bonnie hasn't said anything, but also wondering why.

"Why didn't you say something to someone? Most people would have."

Bonnie smiled softly, her brown eyes warming, "I thought if someone could make you light up and smile the way you have after your parents' death, then they couldn't be all that bad."

Elena broke into a smile, then the tears came yet again. Bonnie was quickly there to brush them away.

"Why so upset though, Elena?"

... Silence.

"I... I just love him **_so_** much, Bonnie" she sobbed, overcome with emotion, imagining Damon holding her close in his bed the first time the made love when she closed her eyes. "So, so much..."

"Then why are you so upset? Has something happened?"

Elena could only nod as she tried to regain some composure. Everything was just so confusing she didn't know where to start.

"Just promise you won't say anything Bonnie. I just needed to share it with someone _**I **_know."

"That you know? You mean others are aware?"

"The worst people imaginable," she seethed through gritted teeth. Isobel's sneering mug crept into her mind.

"Like who?"

"...Mr Saltzman."

"What! And he hasn't said _anything?" _Bonnie asked, completely shocked that a teacher could know about them and nothing had been alerted to the police.

"Thankfully no. To cut a long story short, he caught me and Damon together at his log cabin we stayed at over the weekend. And I think he heard us... you know."

Bonnie sat up straight with bewilderment, each look she gave scaring Elena a little. The more she told, the more she worried whether Bonnie would go back on her word.

"So you're sleeping with Mr Salvatore?"

"Of course I am, we're together, we-"

"Elena you're sixteen, you're underage, he's twenty-something, he'll be jailed for it!"

"You don't need to remind me!" Elena snapped, feeling frustrated that Bonnie would state the obvious to her. She was more than aware that she was under the consenting age of 18 to sleep with Damon who was an adult. She knew that in the eyes of society that it was wrong.

"Okay I'm sorry, but I'm just stunned that Mr Saltzman hasn't reported it. You're lucky."

"Very lucky. But he almost did. He still might... I dunno."

Bonnie sighed and even rubbed her temples. Elena knew she was experiencing just a small fraction of what she had been going through every single day.

"So you said people... who else knows?"

Elena felt herself wince, "Mrs Flemming."

Bonnie's eyes almost popped out of her skull with shock,

"Another teacher! Are you kidding me?"

"Nope. She knows and she..." Elena felt today's events on the tip of her tongue, but something was holding her back from saying them, "she's probably going to tell the police. Damon and I decided to put... put our relationship on hold after we knew she found out. She's obsessed with him Bonnie, it wouldn't surprise if I found out she was..." a light bulb pinged to life in Elena's head, along with a tiny smile of realization ".. blackmailing Damon..."

It all fitted into place. Maybe...

"Oh God Elena," Bonnie said, lost for any other words.

"I've been wanting to tell you, but I couldn't risk it. It's just gotten to a point now where I feel like i'd explode if I kept it to myself."

"Don't worry, I understand" Bonnie assured her, stroking her arm supportively, " you _know _I'm here for you. And you _know _I won't say a single word to anyone."

Elena nodded with a faint smile on her lips, "I know you won't."

Then like all the times before when they had been here, Bonnie pulled Elena into a warm, comforting hug that never failed to make Elena feel better. As they held each other, Elena rested her chin on Bonnie shoulder gently, realizing she was so quick to jump to conclusions about her best friend being unable to keep her secret about Damon.

And now she was wondering whether she was quick to jump to conclusions about Damon too...

* * *

><p><strong>DAMON'S POV<strong>

He didn't know how he did it, but Damon manage to convince Isobel that he needed the night alone. He was tired, overwhelmed and would feel recharged and focused tomorrow onwards. It took a while, but Isobel left satisfied with his need to clear his head.

He wondered, as he drifted through his dark, cold and empty apartment if he could get away with such excuses for the next several months...

Dropping his case to the floor and shrugging off his jacket, Damon picked out his phone from his pocket. Elena hadn't answered any of his calls, nor had she returned them. And why the fuck would she? She caught him kissing Isobel the day after they 'broke up' and the woman was the one person who Damon continuously told Elena he despised more than anyone. What she must be thinking about him right now was beyond anything that Damon could bear to imagine.

_But Elena __**knows **__me. Surely she'll realize the truth. She'll see what is really happening..._

"Yeah, because most girls can see beyond their boyfriend's kissing another woman" Damon scalded aloud to himself as he stared at nothing in particular, feeling the darkness of his empty home devour him. A shudder down his spine brought him back to the present.

He dialed Elena's number again and raised the phone to his ear, waiting for the inevitable "ring ringing" that made him so, incredibly anxious in the last few hours.

But her phone was still switched off.

She didn't want to know.

"_And why would she? You broke the girls heart today."_

With all the force he could muster, which was heck of a lot, Damon cracked the phone in his hand and threw it against the wall with a venomous growl. As it smashed into several pieces Damon stormed right up to it, grounding the plastic into the floor with the heel of his booted foot, then proceeding to drill his right fist into the wall. Again and again, watching his blood smear further and thicker along it's surface. When the wall finally cracked so did Damon's knuckles. He screamed through the pain and even hit the wall once more, the pain so severe this time that he felt a little faint as he leaned his head against the blood stained surface, cursing under his breath, desperately trying to keep it together.

The throbbing in his hand quickly became excruciating. Damon lifted his head from the wall and in a confused daze, made his way to his drinks cabinet. With his left hand he drew out the nearest bottle he found which luckily for him was his favourite: bourbon.

With his teeth he unscrewed the cap and spat it out, knowing there would be no need to screw it back on. A glass was also not necessary. He walked through his apartment, drinking the booze like he was dying of thirst, not caring that the sound of blood dripping from his hand to the floor grew heavier and more frequent.

He planned to drink himself into oblivion until he couldn't remember why he was doing so in the first place.

* * *

><p><em>So there you have it DE fans, Chapter 20.<em>

_What will become of Damon now? Will Isobel get her way? And what could happen at Tyler's house party that could possibly result in devastating consequences?_

_Please review and allllll will be revealed!_

_Thank you for reading!  
><em>

_Anna xx _


	21. Chapter 21

_Hey there Delena fans!_

_Aww a million thanks to all of you who reviewed my last chapter! I can't thank you enough, it's so rewarding to see so many of you are enjoying this fic. And as a treat for you all, I bring you the longest chapter yet. I **loved **writing Damon's Point of View here, I felt like I could squeeze a little of the Vamp Damon into it which was a lot of fun. I really hope you enjoy it... Team Badass anyone?_

_ But because this chappie was sooooo long, I've decided to split it in two._

_So it here it goes with part one..._

* * *

><p><strong><span>Damon's POV<span>**

**BANG! BANG! BANG!**

Damon twitched from his awkward, slumped position against the wall. The sound of knocking rousing him from his deep, alcohol induced sleep.

**BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!**

"What the fuck..." he grumbled, pushing his aching body up the wall. A blinding pain shot through his right hand as he put pressure on the floor, causing him to hiss and look at his throbbing limb.

Needless to say - it was a mess.

He looked around completely dazed for a moment, disorientated, wondering why he felt the need to sleep against in his hallway. Ah - the empty bottle of bourbon resting against his leg answered _that _question. But what was the...

_**BANG! BANG! BANG!**_

"Damon, you in there?"

Like a startled animal, Damon staggered to his feet. The nausea and pain that rippled through his body almost caused him to go plummeting straight back to the floor beneath him. But with Alaric shouting at his door, Damon blinked through his weary eyes to wander his way to the door.

The banging of a fist to wood erupted again as Damon trudged towards it. He pulled an irritated look at the offending sound that hammered through his tired brain.

"Alright, alright..." he groaned, feeling the need to swallow back the bile that had welled in his throat for so much as speaking. He felt like _shit._

He swung open the door, the sunlight blinding him momentarily before Alaric stepped forward. Damon squinted and leaned uneasily against the doorframe for support. His once close friend, looked at him like he were something on the bottom of his shoe.

"What?" said Damon with a heavy roll of his bloodshot eyes.

Alaric finally looked up from Damon's mangled, bloody hand.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?"

Damon looked above with mock thought, then shrugged.

"To be totally honest Ric, I don't even know what day it is right now."

"It's 12:45 on a Friday Damon. Y'know Fridays? Last day of a working week? Last day before the kids get to kick back for the weekend?"

Damon eyes widened with horror, becoming so bulbous it was a wonder the didn't pop out of their sockets.

"Oh fuck" he grumbled, pressing his fingers to the bridge of his nose painfully. He allowed the sudden realization of missing two morning classes to hit him. That was two of his classes without a teacher, without a warning he wasn't going to be there, leading to the shit hitting the fan for the millionth time that week.

"_Yeah but with any luck, you could get fired for this..." _reminded his brain. Damon smirked.

"I wouldn't exactly be smiling about it Damon. John's hit the roof and Isobel has been trying to contact you for hours about it. Where's your phone?"

"Nah she's just pissed that I wouldn't let her shove her hands down my pants last night" Damon ranted, still feeling drunk enough to say such things without worrying about the consequences. Alaric already knew his biggest secret with Elena, what was one more skeleton jumping out of the closet?

"What do you mean?" Alaric asked with a deeply quizzical look. Damon answered with shrug, wishing he hated Alaric enough to tell him to fuck off and let him go to bed.

"So have you come to tell me I'm fired?" Damon asked, feeling his stomach pinch a little. He leaned further against the frame for support. He began to feel rather weak.

"No I've come to see why you didn't turn up this morning to see if there's a perfectly good explanation," Alaric pointed to Damon's crimson coated hand, "take it you got into a fight last night?"

"Yeah," Damon blurted, lazily gesturing into his apartment, "got into a fight with the wall in there." He looked down at his bloody hand, the deep cuts at the knuckles still moist, each finger twice the size it should be. "Think I broke it," Damon said, almost in clarification to himself.

"No shit" Alaric sighed, brushing his hand over his two-day stubble along his jaw. "So what the Hell happened to you?"

"Mmmwhatyoutalkingabout?" Damon rushed, needing to lie down.

"What am I talking about?" Alaric snapped, stepping a little closer "I'm talking about you turning up to school all fine and dandy one day, then the next not turning up at all and answering your door covered in blood!"

"Psssh," Damon snorted, "Stop being so melodramatic."

Alaric bit his tongue, keeping what was probably several curse words at bay. Damon watched him closely with a wonky grin, trying to remain steady on his feet though his swaying was becoming more visable.

"You need to get yourself to the hospital. I'll explain to John that you were in an accident and unable to get in touch with school," Alaric explained, looking Damon up and down like a father would to a son - with deep disappointment. It was a look, in that scenario, that Damon was all too familiar with.

"You done?" Damon stammered, ready to slam the door in Alaric's face.

"No, I'll be back later to update you with what's going on. And please be sober, you're a much more difficult drunk to handle than myself. Take care."

Alaric gave him one last worrying look before leaving. Damon watched him with an upturned lip, slamming the door shut once he was out of sight.

Since when did _he_ decide to start acknowledging him again?

Either way, Damon was relieved it had been Alaric who showed up over Isobel. The thought of being in a close proximity with that woman was enough to drive Damon back to his drinks cabinet for more.

Sadly there was little else for him to chose from. Plus the knowledge that Alaric intended on coming back to check on him was a perfectly good reason for Damon to leave his apartment for the rest of the day. And heck with the weekend just around the corner, he could disappear until Sunday if he liked.

Or disappear all together.

Damon turned his back on the minimal alcohol left in the cabinet and made his way to his bedroom. On the way he caught sight of his reflection in the hallway mirror; he looked like Hell. Dark circles ringed around his once icy blue eyes that were now lifeless and dull, tinged with a reddish colour around his thick, black eyelashes. His hair was greasy, unkempt, and damp with sweat at his aching temples. His once crisp shirt was now crumpled, ripped, stained with blood and booze.

But still, he managed to fire an imaginary pistol with his swollen, purple-toned right hand and made his way through to his bedroom to get ready for his spur of the moment, weekend bender to Oblivion.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Elena's POV<span>**

"I can't believe Caroline skipped gym class to go and buy a new outfit for the party tonight," laughed Bonnie.

"I know it seems a little... much?"

"Well she does have both Matt and Tyler falling at her feet now. The girls' in demand and she knows it!"

Elena smiled as she strolled side by side with Bonnie back home. Bonnie hadn't mentioned a word about Damon to Elena. Not a word about why they were taking a break, why everything was so messed up, why this, why that, she did the most wonderful thing Elena could ever have hoped for; she just sat, listened and accepted it. She knew that was all Elena needed, and didn't push for anything else. Elena felt extremely lucky to have a friend like Bonnie Bennett.

"So have you decided what you're going to wear?" Bonnie asked, kicking up a few, autumnal leaves that were in her path.

"Just the usual," Elena said, she saw the incredulous look etched on Bonnie's face, "oh c'mon Bonnie, it's hardly an occasion to get dressed up to the nine's for."

"Yeah that's true. Eugh, how much do you wanna bet Caroline will be in tears by the end of the night?"

"I'd put everything I own on that" Elena giggled, pulling her phone out of her pocket and lighting up the screen. Her smile automatically vanished.

Damon had stopped calling her since last night. Her heart clenched in her tight chest. She felt so angry with herself for not answering her phone to him. She understood now. She had all day to put the pieces of the puzzle together. It seemed, according to Damon's stories, that Isobel was besotted with him. She had her suspicions about them. It was her perfect opportunity to get Damon for herself by threatening to expose him unless he complied to her wishes. As farfetched as it would sound to many, it was all very plausible for Elena.

She desperately needed to speak to Damon.

"Do I need to ask who you're thinking about right now?" Bonnie questioned timidly as Elena continued to stare at her phone, stroking her finger over the dull screen.

"Nope," she said, sliding her phone away and looking to Bonnie with an 'I'm okay' smile. A smile Elena had perfected in the last few months to Bonnie. "But I know everything is okay now. In one way at least"

Bonnie responded with an encouraging smile. "All the more reason to try and have a good time tonight," she said.

"I can try," Elena sighed, but feeling a little nervous as one, particular name and face popped into her mind. "But promise me you won't push Stefan to talk to me, or try to make amends, or..."

"I promise. I'll tell Caroline too, but I think she'll be busy with her own men."

"With any luck" Elena said, noticing they were coming to the street corner where they went their seperate ways. "I'll meet you at Tyler's at nine-ish then."

"Sure," Bonnie said, quickly pulling Elena in for a brief hug, "I want to see you turn up with the biggest smile on your face too. Elena Gilbert is going to have a brilliant night tonight."

Elena rolled her eyes at Bonnie's cheesy comment, but she accepted it because she was actually going to try and enjoy herself. Even if she found it incredibly difficult to enjoying anything if Damon wasn't involved with her.

Her smile wavered as she thought of him.

She _missed _him terribly.

She said her final goodbyes to Bonnie before pivoting on her converse shoes and quickly walking home before Aunt Jenna would start wondering where she was.

On the way she retrieved her phone once again and dialed Damon's number before she had the chance to talk herself out of it...

It went straight to voicemail.

* * *

><p><em><strong>4 and a half hours later...<strong>_

Elena stared at her reflection in the mirror. She kept her make-up simple, she fastened her hair into a messy pony-tail, revealing her elegant neck and shoulders as she decided to wear a simple black tank-top, denim shorts and silver pumps. She looked naturally beautiful, but far from happy.

Her eyes fluttered across to her phone that sat next to her make-up box on her table. She tried, without allowing herself to think of the consequences if someone else answered, to call Damon several more times. All service to his phone was completely out and Elena was worried sick about him.

Surely after yesterdays events with Isobel he would have returned her calls, no matter how bad the news was.

He didn't have a landline number, so she was completely and utterly stuck to find a way to contact him without going around to his home. But one, that would be incredibly foolish and careless of her and two... she actually couldn't remember the way. The one and only time they went, she was too busy staring at him in the car, becoming lost in his handsome profile. She became wrapped up in the memory of how it felt to be sat so close to him, knowing they were going to his place to make love, and the feeling was so uplifting Elena had to allow herself to become lost in it.

It was only when she heard Jeremy yell that he was going out for the night, that she emerged from her Damon Trance. She thumbed away the single tear that managed to escape.

With a quick stroke of her blusher brush across her cheeks, Elena checked her reflection once more to decide she was ready. With a quick brush down of her shorts, she grabbed her phone, bag and made her way out of the house to Tyler's, but not before reassuring Jenna that she would be home before twelve. She didn't plan on staying late. She was in no right frame of mind to be out partying until all hours of the morning, no matter how eventful Tyler's house parties could become.

After a couple of minutes of walking down the lonely street, Elena heard the low rumbling of a car engine from behind her like it was slowing down. Elena turned only to be blinded by the headlights, causing her to raise her hand up to shield her eyes. For a second she became a little worried, thinking it was someone who was about to snatch her from the sidewalk, a typical thing for a teenage girl to feel. But very quickly she found there was nothing to worry about at all as the car slowly rolled to a halt beside her.

"Need a ride?" he asked, a warm smile on his face.

Elena had all the usual reasons of why she shouldn't accept his offer ready to burst out of her mouth. But the way Stefan smiled so openly up at her, Elena just couldn't find herself to do that. With all the drama that surrounded her in her young life, perhaps it would be nice to hang out with someone who didn't suspect anything, didn't know her secrets, didn't threaten her. Just for a night...

"Sure," she said, a little smile creeping on her lips as she opened the door and climbed in, sitting in a comfortable silence until they arrived to their location a few minutes later.

The look on Bonnie's face outside Tyler's house as Elena rolled up in the car with Stefan was nothing short of surprised. Perhaps annoyed too. Elena braced herself...

"Thanks for the ride Stefan" she said, looking down to unclick her seat-belt. She could feel his eyes on her.

"Any time... would you like the ride home too?"

"Uh maybe, I'm gonna leave early I think so I don't wanna ruin your night."

"I don't mind coming with you," he said lowly, in a way that hoped would encourage her towards the answer he wanted. Elena knew the discussion would lead to ones they usually had; her telling him he was pushing simple things too far and making them complicated. Thankfully as she opened her mouth to speak, Bonnie popped up by the window.

"Hey Stefan!"

"Hey Bonnie," he nodded, looking a little peeved that she had interrupted his moment with Elena. Elena on the other hand silently thanked her.

"C'mon, we're missing the party" Bonnie said, going as far to open the door for Elena. As she hopped out, Bonnie hissed;

"What happened to the 'no stefan' talk?"

Elena rolled her eyes heavily "I know, I know, I just..."

"Hey you guys coming?" hollered Stefan, hands shoved deep into his jacket pockets as he walked backwards towards the thrumming Lockwood mansion.

"Lets just leave it okay?" Elena asked, "You want me to have fun, then _please _don't hassle me with questions. Everything's fine."

Elena worried she may have sounded a little harsh, but Bonnie nodded in understanding.

"No hassle. Just fun," she stated, her eyes wandering over Elena's shoulder to Stefan who stood waiting for them. "We're coming Stef!"

Elena watched as Bonnie bounced over towards Stefan who was beaming. It was the first time in a long time Elena realized, that any of them had been nice to him and accepting of his company. Suddenly her phone began buzzing in her pocket...

With a gasp she quickly fumbled through her bag, _please be Damon, please be Damon!_

1 new message: Caroline

_Where the Hell are you guys? Matt drama. In bathroom. Need u asap! xoxo_

Elena solemnly dropped her phone back into her bag. In the quietness of the outdoors, say for the muffled sound of bass, laughter and cheering from Tyler's house, Elena took a moment to look around her, ridiculously wishing Damon would just pop out of the shadows and surprise her.

"Where are you Damon?" she whispered.

* * *

><p><strong>DAMON'S POV<strong>

"I'll have another one," Damon slurred, shaking the glass in his hand towards the barmaid, the ice cubs clinging in the glass grabbing her attention. He didn't bother to look up, which made the action all the more condescending. But he was far too drunk to give a flying fuck about anything right now... except where the next drink was coming from.

"I think you've had enough," she said, her glossy lip upturned with disgust as she took in his slouched form over the bar. It was a shame to see someone so good-looking go to waste.

"Trust me honey," he drawled, raising his eyebrows with a drunken smirk, "I've barely even started." The smile vanished, "fill me up."

As the glass slammed onto the drenched wooden bar top, the little barmaid flinched and scurried away to comply with his orders.

Damon sighed at her boldness, about to mumble some form of offense at her but was abruptly silenced by hiccups. The tiny jolt of his body sent a shock-wave of pain to slice through his hand which he had wrapped up, poorly, with a bandage he found shoved in his bathroom cabinet. It would do for now.

He surveyed the bar, looking for the cocky little bitch that answered back at him, wondering where she'd gone with his drink. His glazed, dark blue eyes landed on a pretty little brunette further sat down the bar. She was perched on the stool, her back to him, her cascades of dark curls resting close to the curve of her behind. She looked so much like...

"Elena.." he said, seeing her face flash through his dizzying mind. Her glowing smile, radiant from head to toe as she danced around the log cabin in her underwear. He found himself smiling, putting himself right there in that memory.

The mystery brunette tossed her hair over shoulder to look directly at him. She frowned, aghast at his 'leering.' By the time Damon came too, she was already shaking her head and moving further down the bar in a hurry.

Whatever.

"Anything else?" came the clipped tone of the itchy barmaid. Damon snatched the glass from her hand, down the drink in one and slotted the glass right back into her hand again.

"Another one, Peaches" he winked.

Appalled, she walked off and didn't go to pour another one for him as she had previously. She probably went for the manager or something. Damon arched a single eyebrow and came to the quick conclusion that he didn't really care. That this place was a bit of a drag anyway. Wherever here was.

"Time to call it a night?"

"Ugh... you again" Damon sighed, not bothering to look to his left as he already knew that it was Alaric standing next to him.

"That's me, good old Mr Buzzkill" he said in a comical tone that caused Damon to bite his tongue. "What happened to that little hospital idea we talked about?"

"Sorry _Daddy Ric _I completely forgot," Damon drawled, looking over to the stone-cold sober Alaric with tired, hazy, bitterly-stinging eyes. "What do you want Ric? Can't you see you're rudely interrupting my little drinking sesh."

"I wouldn't exactly call it little," Alaric said, carefully sitting next to Damon who stared hard in front of him, as if he were trying to make a drink pour itself into a glass with mind control.

"Well if you were me right now Saltzy, you'd be doing the same: my primary reason for existence has abandoned me and after yesterdays events and the remains of the shaky ground that I walk on are about to go _kaboom_. A perfectly good reason to get hammered" Damon said, finishing off with a dazzling smirk then spying across the bar to see his antsy barmaid reappear, "Hey Little Miss Pouty, fancy getting me that drink?"

A man then appeared next to her, clearly the manager and she pointed over in Damon's direction. Seriously?

Then from behind, two hard fingers jabbed into his shoulder. Damon turned in his seat to be greeted by some steroid bulking dude with the pretty brunette stood behind him.

"Can I help you?" Damon asked in fake politeness, flashing his killer smile at the brunette before the muscle-hulking guy shoved his shoulders so roughly that his back slammed against the bar.

"Who the fuck do you think you are, huh? Staring up my girl?"

"Oh c'mon," Damon laughed, slapping his thigh in humour as he stared at his new found enemy whose face had set in stone, he rolled his gaze across to the girl who stood silent. "are you seriously kicking up a fuss about that Princess?"

"Damon just leave it," Alaric warned from behind him.

"What did you call her?" said The Hulk, stepping forward menacingly, towering over Damon who remained in his stool, looking bemused as he raised his hands in a comic, "i don't know" fashion.

"I'd like to ask you all to leave," warned the manager, his voice shaking a little with the intense situation that had occurred in his bar.

"No worries buddy, was about to leave this shit-hole dive anyway" Damon blurred, standing up, whipping his leather jacket from his seat ready to go until Hulk rammed him back against the bar, causing a number of glasses to roll off the surface and smash into thick pieces on the tiled floor.

"I haven't finished with you," Hulk grunted, his beedy eyes bulging from his thick, meaty skull.

"Listen why don't you grab a few more of your pumped-up gym buddies and then it'll be an even fight," Damon smiled, slapping the guys cheek and moving out of his grip.

Knowing it was coming, Hulk swooped around to punch him but Damon was already there, throwing his good left fist clean into his meaty head and sending him crashing into the bar.

"Damon!" Alaric yelled, his voice barely audible over the brunette who had started screaming.

Not one to back down, Damon was ready and pumped up for round two, despite his opposition being a few stone heavier and a few inches taller than him. He lunged forward again, but received a thick fist to the stomach once, twice, then being pulled back and head-butted clean between the eyes.

"Stop it, dammit!" came Alaric's voice somewhere, "he's had enough!"

Then Damon found himself thrown against the bar, winded and twisted onto his back. Through the drunken blur and blood in his eyes, he saw the faint vision of a smashed glass in Hulk's hand being raised above his head, ready to strike down...

But somehow he didn't feel the pain. Perhaps a shard of it sliced straight through his skull and directly into his brain. Killing him instantly. But everything was a blur of colours and nothing seemed to make sense for a while.

"Damon... Damon?"

A slap on the cheek brought him too and Damon found himself looking at Alaric's shirt, crouching down at his level on... on the floor. He'd somehow made it to the floor.

"Get out before I call the cops" echoed an unknown voice.

"C'mon Damon," Alaric urged, wrapping Damon's right arm around his shoulder and securing his left around Damon's waist. "On your feet."

Damon managed to do the basic task of putting one foot forward and then another, but still resting his full body weight against Alaric who struggled to ease him through the gathered crowds.

As the cold night air blasted onto his skin, Damon suddenly felt more awake.

"Let go of me Ric," he grumbled, grimacing as he felt his blood, moist and cool, drying on his face.

"You can barely see straight, I'm helping you to the car."

Damon roughly shrugged out of his support.

"Why are you helping me! Is this some little fuckin' scheme you've got cooked up with Isobel? Is it? You're a fucking dick," Damon spat, wandering off onto the road a little, almost tripping to his knees.

"Isobel? What's she got to do with anything?"

"Oh _everything_" Damon said, scrunching up his nose as he suddenly thought of the concept of sleeping with her, which he knew he would eventually have to do unless he wanted a one way ticket to a dank, dirty cell. "She's got me right where she fucking wants me, and knowing..." he felt his stomach lurch, "and knowing that you know, that... that I know, that you know about me and 'Lena... you'll probably just go mouthing off to the cops anyway. So either way I'm knee deep in shit..."

Damon didn't notice the baffled look on Alaric's face, etched with disbelief as he managed to put two and two together about Isobel. Unless Damon was so pissed he was talking complete nonsense. But Alaric somehow knew that he wasn't...

"Damon get out of the road and let me take you to the hospital. Or at the very least home."

"I'll decline thanks," Damon said, waving off Ric's words as he stumbled a little.

"Then at least get out of the road," Alaric asked impatiently, like he was talking to a child. Damon didn't appreciate it, but adhered to his wishes, staggering back up to the side walk, wincing as a burning pain blitzed at his stomach.

"You okay?"

"Uh huh," Damon managed, holding his tender stomach after Hulk pummeled it several times. "I just need..."

"To lie down?" Alaric suggested.

Damon slowly shook his head, a look of anguish sweeping over his usual calm, strong and powerful exterior. His drunken facade of cockiness and cheek all but punched and kicked away. He stood, wavering on his feet, his blue eyes shining sadly through the blood that blotched his skin, he looked hauntingly at Alaric.

"IjustneedElena.."

"Huh? What?"

Alaric didn't get an answer, as Damon's eyes rolled to the back of his head and his knees gave way. Alaric managed to catch him just in time before his head smashed against the concrete floor.

* * *

><p><strong>ELENA'S POV<strong>

Elena wandered into the heaving Lockwood mansion. Everyone from her school year was there having a blast; drinking, dancing, making out in dark corners. It was wild and Elena could barely hear herself think above the powerful music. When she started yelling for Bonnie she noticed heads begin to turn and people looked at her... strangely.

It was dark, say for the odd flashing light that went swooping through the room. But it wasn't just one or two people, it was nearly everyone who was giving her the same look. As though they were looking down on her, or knew something she didn't. It was worse when she noticed a few turning to whisper to their friends. Elena wished she hadn't tied her hair upwards. She felt the overwhelming need to hide behind her long, dark hair as a form of shield from the intrusive staring going on around her.

_Maybe it's because I haven't been to a houseparty in so long.. _she thought. It could very well be. A few months ago she would be the life and soul of one, with Caroline as her wing-girl and Bonnie being the ever protective friend who played chaperone. She'd be the one dancing on tables, swaying her hips to the beat with every pair of male eyes on her and knowing it.

Either way she recklessly grabbed for the nearest bottle on one of many tables that stored drinks. She chugged on the warm beer, grimacing at its stale taste as she continued her hunt for Bonnie, Caroline, Stefan, anyone who she knew well.

"Elena!" came Bonnie's voice.

Elena twirled around to find her halfway up the stairs. Of course! Caroline was sobbing in the bathroom over Matt! Quickly Elena weaved through the crowds. still seeing people giving her the look, but ignoring them as she took Bonnie's hand who lead her up the stairs.

"Bonnie we've passed the bathroom," Elena called, but Bonnie marched onwards until she found an unoccupied bedroom."What's going on?"

Bonnie hurriedly shut the door and turned to face Elena. Whatever Bonnie was about to say, Elena knew she wasn't going to like it.

"People know."

"...What?"

Elena refused to believe Bonnie's blunt statement. She shook her head, backing away from Bonnie as though her friend were brandishing a kitchen knife in front of her.

"Several people have just come up to me saying they've had notes in their lockers towards the end of the day at school. Saying you and Mr Salvatore are "getting it on" or something. No one knows who it is, but... but it's out there Elena."

"It's Isobel..." Elena whispered, almost choking on the word, "It has to be."

"Isobel? As in Miss Flemming?"

Elena nodded, palming a hand to her chest where her heart drummed like a wild beast trying to escape a small cage.

"I didn't tell you fully," Elena stammered, determined to keep the tears back while she explained, but all the while thinking about Damon and wondering what was happening to him right now. "But remember how I said she could be blackmailing him?"

Bonnie nodded, listening intently.

"I think... jeez, this is gonna sound crazy... but I think she's forcing him to be with her or she'll spill everything about our relationship. What if he's done something and this is her way of warning him?"

"That sounds ridiculous Elena, why would she go to such lengths?"

"I dunno, but it really, really wouldn't surprise me" Elena said, convinced she was on the right track now she'd open her eyes beyond what she saw in Damon's classroom yesterday. Isobel was desperate for Damon, Elena knew first hand from the woman's unexpected visit to Damon's apartment the day she went back with him. This was _all _her and Damon _must_ have done something to rub her the wrong way...

"_What if he's not answering his phone because he's already been turned in?"_

Elena suddenly felt sick at her own thoughts, slumping back against the bed behind her to pull herself together.

"I need to find him, Bonnie."

"Okay but how-"

The door flew open. It was Stefan and Matt, laughing like idiots and holding two to three bottles of Bud in each hand. Looks like Stefan would now be walking home in that case.

"Sorry, have we interrupted girl time?" Matt slurred, already a little worse for wear and it was only 10pm.

"No we've just finished," Elena declared, bravely putting a smile on her face.

"Well c'mon, lets go dance!" Stefan announced, doing some odd gyration of his hips before he and Matt wandered out into the blackened hallway once again.

Elena hadn't budged the smile from her lips as she went to follow. Bonnie gently placed her hand on her arm.

"What are you doing?" she whispered.

"Bonnie I can't have people believing it. If i walk out, it will scream of guilt. I need to show that the rumours about me and Damon are fake and the only way to do that is laugh it off and look like I'm having a good time."

"Are you sure?"

"There you guys are!" shrieked Caroline.

The blonde was stood in the doorway, hands on either side of it with an impatient look on her slightly red face. She had been crying, but attempted to hide it by applying more cover-up and eyeliner.

Elena hoped to God she hadn't heard a word...

"Sorry Care, we were-"

"Nevermind. lets just go out there and dance. I _need _to show everyone I'm having a super, wicked awesome time. I feel like a total idiot!"

"Likewise, Caroline" Elena said, taking the blonde's cool fingers and squeezing them. "Let's go. Come on Bonnie!"

It was going to be just like old times Elena realized as the trio grew closer and closer to the pounding music and heaving dancefloor where Stefan, Tyler and a brooding Matt were moving to the music and bellowing out the lyrics. Elena and Caroline were the hardcore party animals and Bonnie the ever watchful eye.

As much as Elena tried to ignore it as she bopped around to the music, Bonnie was more than aware that people were still watching and whispering about the Salvatore/Gilbert rumours...

* * *

><p><strong>DAMON'S POV<strong>

Flashes of bright lights kept disrupting Damon's sleep. He slowly blinked his eyes open to find himself laying in darkness, a window above, street lights blaring through and burning his weak vision. It was becoming all too common for him to wake up in unexpected places.

He felt the leather under his bare arms and left hip where his black t-shirt had rolled up. With his left hand he realized it was the cheap leather of a car seat and not his precious leather jacket. Shit he hoped he hadn't left it at that bar..

As soon as he lifted his head to see who the driver was he regretted it. His head was _pounding. _He could smell the faint, coppery scent of blood. Everything was hurting like a bitch and he couldn't wait to pop a few pain killers and collapse into bed for the rest of the weekend. Not that he would be in any state to turn up to school Monday morning, but he hadn't seen the full damage of his face after his run in with The Incredible Hulk.

The car quickly swooped around and corner and Damon had to hold himself to the seat from falling onto the floor. Then the car stopped and the driver unclipped their seat belt, slammed their car door shut only to open Damon's a few seconds later.

"Rise and shine," said Alaric as Damon gradually hoisted himself into a seating position.

"Sorry about the blood and... drool" said Damon, lazily looking around at the mess he'd made in Alaric's car from simply lying there. Alaric remained silent as he manoeuvred Damon out of his car and onto the drive way.

"Damon please tell me you have your keys," Alaric said forcefully as he was once again, pretty much supporting Damon's entire body weight.

Damon grimaced at the pain in his stomach, struggling to say they were in his pocket and instead fumbling for them himself.

"Oh come here, let me help you."

Damon saw a pair of female hands lunge into his jeans pocket, retrieving his keys and walking to his front door in what sounded like high heels. Alaric had paused in his tracks.

"Isobel what are you doing here?"

Damon felt his world crash again as he listened to everything that was going on around him. To look up from the ground at his feet caused his entire vision and stance to tilt violently.

"I've been worried sick about him all day Ric, but thank goodness you've found him." she said, emotion dripping from her voice as she unlocked the door to Damon's home.

"Uhh..."

"Oh sorry Ric," said Isobel with a hint of laughter in her overly sugar-sweet voice. "Myself and Damon we're an item. I'll take it from here."

"I don't think that's wise Isobel, he's in a pretty bad way as you can tell."

"I know but once he's in the house safely I can handle it. It's not a problem" said Isobel sternly, clearly wanting Alaric to leave as soon as possible.

Even in his awful state, Damon knew that Isobel was oblivious to the fact Alaric knew all about his relationship with Elena. He half smiled as he concentrated on breathing properly through the burning pain at his stomach and ribs. He had one up on the bitch. He just hoped that Alaric wouldn't fuck it up.

"Let's just see what happens once we're inside okay?" Alaric suggested, moving Damon slowly along the grovel towards Isobel who was waiting at the door, playing the concerned girlfriend role.

Here's where a performance worthy of an Oscar kicks in.

Damon made out to trip under his feet, causing Alaric to fall against the wall in the hallway. The action trapping Damon's inflammed right hand between them.

"Fuck!" he burst, causing Alaric and Isobel to gasp at his outcry.

"What? What is it!" Isobel shrieked.

"His arm!" Alaric snapped, quickly dragging Damon through the dark room, "if you think you're any help Isobel will you _please _put the lights on!"

Damon heard her totter away in her skyscraper heels as he slumped onto the couch, cradling his arm that throbbed and wracked his entire right arm with pain.

"Hospital... please," Damon muttered as the lights beamed through his apartment. Alaric nodded and felt for his phone in his pocket.

"What are you doing?" ordered Isobel, storming over in between them and kneeling in front of Damon. He looked at her for the first time that evening, glaring at her with everything he had. It had no affect on her, even with the dry trails of blood across his features that made him look like the surviving victim of a horror movie. She smiled up at him from her thick, fake eyelashes, then focused on inspecting his right hand, carefully unwinding the bandages.

"Leave it!" Damon growled. he moved his hand back but she yanked it forward, making sure it hurt as a warning.

"Don't bother with an ambulance Ric. If he were that bad he'd have asked to go to A&E straight away" Isobel stated, stroking her fingers over the torn, bruised knuckles. Damon, as disgusting at it sounded, felt like spitting the remnants of blood in his mouth into her face. "What have you gotten yourself into sweetie?" she cooed, cupping her hand to his cheek while he stared at her cold. Eyes ablaze, breathing uneven.

"Damon I don't mind driving you if-"

"I have a first aid kit in my car, would you get it for me Alaric?"

"I think he needs an x-ray over a few band aids to be honest."

"I told you," she said coldly, but still with a twinkle of innocence in her eyes as she looked back to Alaric. "If he were that _desperate_ he'd have already gone."

"Well he wasn't exactly in the right frame of mind to make rational decisions Isobel."

"Nonsense, he's a smart man aren't you Damon? He's knows better to than to bother a team of doctors when there are _far_ more important things for them to be doing."

"If you say so. But still... you've got to wonder why he decided to get into this state in the first place huh?"

Damon blinked up at Alaric, then to Isobel. She had no comeback for that and instead continued to examine his hand. She refused to look up, even to Damon, and eventually she released a loud sigh.

"Tired of waiting for this first aid kit, Alaric. Car is open. It's in the trunk."

Alaric wordlessly made his way out. Damon closed his eyes, accepting that he was most likely not going to make it to that hospital. Isobel grabbed his chin, forcing him to look at her. Damon's vision doubled as he set sights on her, almost swaying into her body.

"You've been a bad, _bad_ boy Damon" she said lowly, stroking her thumb down his swollen, bottom lip while he glowered at her, "Would you like to know what I've done as punishment?" she whispered, leaning over and replacing the pad of her thumb with her lips, "would you?"

Panic began to swell in his chest but he remained complacent, staring straight through her while she closed her lips against his in a gentle but deadly kiss. He didn't reward her with an answer, nor did he return the kiss that left a cold chill on his aching body.

"I'll be back with that first aid" she said, rising to her feet and heading for the door.

Damon couldn't hear the distant voices of Alaric and Isobel at his door. He felt himself wavering again, the lack of hydration and blood playing havoc with the copious amount of alcohol that still swirled around his system. Not to mention the anxiety of what Isobel had done, which caused his heart the palpitate, causing his body to shake. He carefully rested his head back against the couch. Needing to drift out of consciousness.

...

"I still think the hospital is a wise decision. He's a mess, Isobel" Urged Alaric, handing over the first ait kit to Isobel who accepted it with a sly grin.

"I can handle it. Don't worry."

"But... okay, fair enough. I'll help you sort out-"

"Goodnight Alaric," said Isobel, quickly closing the door, almost trapping her colleagues fingers in the hinges. She locked it, and ignored the quiet protest from the other side of the door as she made her way back to her Damon.

The poor lamb was out cold. As she stood above him she felt a sense of gratification that this was ultimately her doing. She broke him down, she punished him for it, he would _not _be doing it again.

She carefully unsealed an anti-septic wipe from her pityful First Aid kit. He didn't move once as she dabbed over the deep gash above his eyebrow, brushing his dark hair way with her fingers. She placed a chaste kiss on the tiny welt at his lip, the faint taste of his blood sizzling on her tongue.

"My poor baby is such a mess" she whispered, unbuttoning his shirt, feeling her stomach dance as she laid her eyes on his muscular body, undeterred by the bruising around his ribs. She placed tentative kisses along the dark markings, inhaling his masculine scent, wondering why an inexperienced, know-it-all little _brat_ like the Gilbert Girl appealed to him but she did not. It angered her, almost enough for her hands to cup around his right hand, ready to crush it painfully... but she refrained, and placed it back by his side, moving upwards to pat open wound on his head.

"Try avoiding me again and it won't be just a few notes that i'll be planting in students lockers, Salvatore..."

* * *

><p><em>So what does everyone think to Part One of this eventful Friday night?<em>

_This was one of my all time fave chapters to write so I'm ridiculously excited to see what you all thought of it! And as some of you may have noticed I included a classic Damon quote from S1... one of my favourites from him, haha. And also, for any fellow geeks, a quote from the recent Star Trek movie in the bar when he slapped the The Hulk. It felt soooooo Damon-like :-)_

_Anyways I'll not keep you guys further. Thank you for reading as always and i'll be back in no time at all with Chapter 22. _

_Anna xxx_


	22. Chapter 22

_Hello there everyone!_

_I am so, so, sooooooo sorry about the lateness of this update. I promised it would be much sooner than this but I have my reasons. One; i've been having a lot of internet trouble and two; I wasn't 100% happy with the outcome of this chapter. It needed more kick and as a result I've completely altered how Elena's POV was going to end. Funny how you can have an idea in your head, but when it comes to writing it just sucks, eh? Or maybe that's just me, hehe._

_As always thank you for all of your amazing reviews. I'm pleased so many of you find yourself on the edge of your seats by the end of some chapters. It's allllways my intention because I'm just an evil cow, mwhahaha! But finally here is Chapter 22, not my best I personally feel, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless. On we go!_

* * *

><p><strong>ELENA'S POV<strong>

Elena had been knocking out a few of her signature moves (they were a little rusty she'll admit) for several minutes or so with Caroline. As much as her smile showed she was having the time of her life, her eyes spoke differently. People were still gawping in her direction, even on the bustling dance floor. She did her best to ignore them, sipping on her drink and singing along to the music with Caroline who was also putting on a good show that she was having a great time while Matt sulked in the shadows.

"I'm gonna get another drink!" Caroline yelled, then twirling in her heels, storming past Matt with a fantastic sway of her hips towards the nearest drinks table in the decadent foyer of the Lockwood Mansion.

Elena was suddenly left alone, feeling a little intimidated until Stefan breezed across to her with a winning smile.

"Having fun Miss Gilbert?" he yelled over the thundering base.

Elena was close to crumbling apart with the staring of eyes that Stefan hadn't seemed to notice. Unless he thought people were staring with adoration like the old days; Stefan & Elena - the golden couple of Mystic Falls High. But Elena shrugged off the whispers and sniggers around her and quickly carried on moving to the music.

"Of course I am. How about you?"

'Hey Elena is it true?" came a high pitched voice.

To her left there was Dana, shouting to her over the music with a group of her friends hovering around her like a moth to the flame. Elena felt like she was about be pounced on as they gave her the filthiest look possible. She frowned, as did Stefan next to her.

"Is what true?" she said with a straight face, but she could feel her voice weakening. Hopefully it was unnoticeable over the loud music. She carried on dancing a little, trying to keep most of her attention on Stefan to show she couldn't really care less for what Dana was about to say.

"Is it true that's you're sleeping with the hot english teacher? Everyone is talking about it!"

"Sleeping with _who?_" Stefan demanded, looking back and forth between Dana and Elena. The girls started giggling as Elena grasped onto Stefan's arm. She had perfected lying in the last few weeks, but this was becoming a little too difficult.

"Stefan lets just go. I don't need to listen to this crap" she scowled, glaring at Dana over her shoulder as she made her way off the dance floor with Stefan in tow.

The things she heard on the way were nothing short of unbearable.

_"Did you get that note about her and Mr Salvatore?"_

_"I heard they did it in the teachers lounge** several** times..."_

_"Stefan's **way** too good for **her.**"_

_"You haven't heard? Mr Salvatore's been banging her for **months!**"_

"Oh My God, Elena!"

As she cleared the dance floor there was Caroline, mouth agape, drink spilling out of her hand.

"What Caroline?"

"Is it true? I mean... _seriously!_"

"It's true isn't it?"

Elena turned around to find Dana again, standing tall over her smaller frame, hand on her hips with a clever smile on her face. A warm pair of hands settled on Elena's shoulders, she flinched to find it was Stefan standing supportively behind her.

"No it's not true," Elena said calmly, knowing if she flew off the handle it would only make it seem less convincing. Her frightened, hazel eyes darted around all the bodies that turned to look at her, chanting ridiculous _"Elena and Salvatore, sitting in a tree" _songs, throwing foul sexual comments and texting other people what was happening. She leaned back against Stefan's body, knowing he was all she had at the moment.

"_You're _sleeping with Mr Salvatore," Dana stated confidently, Elena shook her head vigarously. "Tell me Elena, does he have a huge-"

"You're disgusting!" Elena spat, but everyone at the forefront seemed to burst into infectious laughter.

"Elena's lets go you don't need to hear this," Stefan explained into her ear.

"Why are you so hung up on her Stefan?" Dana taunted, Elena quickly agreed to Stefan's suggestion and they turned to leave, "doesn't it bother you that she's probably been blowing Salvatore off at lunch hour?"

Howls of laughter echoed behind her as they hurriedly left the dance floor completely. Elena felt too numb to cry as she and Stefan left through the back entrance of the house, passing the fog of smoke where the stoners had situated themselves for the night. This was all going from bad to _worse; _she and Damon had broke up, Isobel had him for herself, she had no idea where Damon was, or if he was even around Mystic Falls at all anymore. She didn't know much about anything and the urgent need to find Damon, to just see him and see that he was safe was becoming all the more desperate.

"Elena slow down!" said Stefan, still right behind her as she walked in the direction of his car.

"Will you please take me home Stefan? I can't be here."

She turned around and he almost bumped right into her. He looked upset for her, which was something very, very Stefan-like. He was so in tune with how people felt, and in particularly Elena, willing to share her pain to show she wasn't alone. To some that would be a powerful trait to find in a boyfriend. But for Elena it felt like it made everything ten times worse. For her anguish to become a part of him? It was too much. She needed someone to be strong for her, to be a shoulder to cry on and make her feel like everything will be okay.

But unfortunately the only person who could _really _do that for her was Damon.

'Of course I'll take you home, but..."

"But what, Stefan?"

"... Is it true?"

Elena felt her insides quiver anxiously. She needed Stefan by her side. Yes she had Bonnie, but if this rumour were going to exacerbate, of which it most likely will, she needed more than her best friend to stand by her. Most best friends would with such a predicament , even when you don't expect them too as Elena had discovered. But Stefan could be vital. If the ex-boyfriend is willing to stand by you when you've been accused of sleeping with a school teacher, then it would eventually die out as a vicious rumour. Yes it was using Stefan to an extent. But Elena was far more concerned about Damon than anyone else in this World right now.

"No Stefan, it's not true" she trembled. "How can you believe something like that when anyone could have scribbled it on a piece of scrap paper for a laugh?"

"But everyone in there was so adamant about it, I just thought.."

"Well you thought wrong. A rumour like that is gold dust, it's no wonder they've jumped on it like flies around crap" she shook, suddenly feeling so scared.

"I get what you're saying Elena. But I suppose I was more worried that... well, what if it _was _true but not on your... terms if you get me. Like what if he was forcing you into it?"

Elena stared at Stefan with disbelief. Abhorred by such an absurd statement. If she weren't keeping any of this a secret, she would have slapped him hard around the face. But if she overreacted that would just confirm everyones suspicions. She wouldn't care _that _much about a teacher she wasn't sleeping with now would she? But she could not and would not allow Damon to be spoken about that way.

"How could you even think of something like that? Mr Salvatore is a great man and a great teacher. You know that from first hand experience!"

"Yeah but what if it was an act? Y'know you read about stuff like this."

"Well it's not like the stuff you read, Stefan. Damon is an innocent man and i'd hate to think he would get in trouble for some silly rumour."

Elena was now so close to Stefan she could swear she saw his pupils dilate. Nothing about him seemed entirely convinced for some reason and this was Stefan, who would believe her even if she went skipping around Mystic Falls singing that she'd seen a pig fly.

"Stefan?" she whispered, she went as far as to grab the draw strings of his navy pullover "Say something will you?"

"You called him _Damon_."

A hot and cold sweat sheeted her entirely body.

"...Yeah. So?"

"Why'd you call him that?" he asked in a gruff whisper, pulling back from her a little.

"Why wouldn't I call him it? It's his name after all."

"Since when does _anyone_ call a teacher by their first name?"

"Of course they do when you get close enough to them!" Her stomach knotted as she realized how bad that actually sounded. She yanked Stefan closer as if to shake her last statement out of his ears. "I mean, like... he's lost a parent too and he has been _so_ supportive of my situation in a way that most can't comprehend."

"So I wasn't supportive enough? Is that what you're saying?"

"No! For goodness sake Stefan why do you have to twist every little thing I say as a negative towards you? _You_ haven't lost a parent. _He_ has. Damon understands more than-"

"There you go again. Damon this. Damon that."

"Ugh it's pointless even explaining to you!" Elena shrieked, pushing Stefan away and pressing her hands to her face. Trying to hold back the high-pitched screams of frustration that she was dying to burst out into the night.

"I hear what you're saying Elena, but it sounds like bullshit. My dad can be a complete jerk and I'd confide in Mr Tanner about it but I don't go around calling him by his first name like he's a best good friend of mine now do I?"

"Well it's... it's different then, okay? Stefan please, this is getting... it's getting silly. Please, will you just give me a ride home?"

She knew she was rapidly losing her cool. She was unravelling like a thread before Stefan's enraged, emerald eyes and she didn't know how to reign it back. He knew. He just knew, she could tell by the way he stared at her and how he was backing away towards the house.

"Are you protecting him?" Stefan asked, pointing at her like she was filth. His tunneled, sixteen year old brain had paged back to the vile teacher/student stories from the newspapers that no doubt twisted half of the tale. Or so Elena believed now to some extent. When she hadn't said anything in the few seconds he gave her, Stefan jumped to the conclusion, "he _has_ forced you into this hasn't he?"

"Stefan stop it!" she begged... Oh God, now she was begging. He turned to head back to the house, ready to confirm to it's inhabitants that the notes were true and that Salvatore was a sick, paedophile bastard who needed castrating first thing Monday morning. "Stefan wait!"

"No Elena, this needs to be out. It's for your own good."

"Stefan. Stefan wait dammit!"

She grabbed his arm and yanked him backwards, almost sending them both toppling to the grass beneath them. He moved for her to let go, but she held on to the sleeve of his jacket with all the strength her fingers could muster.

"Why are you stopping me from doing this?" he yelled, grabbing her upper arms and shaking her between each word with force, as if trying to rattle some sense into her. But Elena hadn't lost the fight for Damon yet.

"I'm stopping you because you'd be sending an innocent teacher into ruin for something he _hasn't_ done. But more so because you'd be ruining my life when it's taken me several months to finally feel like I can rebuild it!"

He seemed to listen to this. Elena watched him, her eyes wide and searching for the look on his face that told her she'd won him over. They seemed to be stood that way for a while, Stefan holding her arms, Elena cradling her hands to her chest, pulling away from him slightly. He finally stroked his hands down to her elbows and flopped them to his sides. Elena let out a breath of complete and utter relief.

"It was just the thought of someone like that taking advantage of you. If it were true I don't think I could handle it. I'd want to find him and rip him apart myself for doing that to you."

Elena shuddered at his low, sinister voice. She'd never heard Stefan sound like that. Ever.

"But it's all fake. It's someone in that house over there making it up for their own amusement."

"Maybe so. But I swear if _he _so much as looks at you in a funny way i'll break his-"

"Stefan!" Elena stammered, stunned by his attitude. It was so unlike the gentle character she was used to.

He gave her a funny side nod as if he were struggling to rid the thoughts of beating Mr Salvatore to a pulp out of his head. "Sorry," he mumbled, like a misbehaved kid, too stubborn to admit defeat.

Elena didn't want to be around him any longer, or at the party, or around anyone for that matter. Apart from Bonnie, she was scared to be around people incase they sniffed out her relationship with Damon. The suspicion was there now like a giant, pink elephant in every single room all because of a note that she was certain Miss Flemming had planted in people's lockers. There didn't need to be proof. A few words on a piece of scrap paper were enough to destroy everything... for a very, very long time.

"I'm going now," Elena said, adding silently to herself ..._to find Damon._

"Let me drive you," Stefan said, sulking, looking at the ground beneath his feet.

"No, i'd rather walk. But thank you" Elena said, glancing at Stefan once more before turning to leave.

She saw the exit to the Lockwood mansion grounds in sight. She knew to take the first right out in the direction she thought-

"I insist on driving you. It's late" came Stefan's voice from behind her. Elena could hear his feet jogging towards her on the thick grass.

"Stefan you've been drinking" she said, closing her eyes with trepidation as she felt his hand slide around her bare shoulder. "But Stefan I need-"

"It's no bother," he said, jingling out his car keys and tugging her body into the direction of his parked car.

"I don't mind being dropped half way if that's okay," she said, irritated by his insistence as he swung open the car door for her, but in a less than gentlemanly manner.

"I may as well take you home. I head in that direction anyway."

"But i'd really like to get some air before-"

"I said I'll take you home!"

Elena sat there in shock, almost jumping out of her skin as he slammed his door so heavily the car shook on it's wheels. It felt like he'd bitten her tongue off, and she didn't dare say another word to him as he shoved the keys in the ignition and roared the car into motion before he barely even took the hand brake off.

Elena didn't dare look at him for the entire journey. The tension was excruciating to the point where she was scared to breathe a little too loudly. And as they took the right down towards her house, she found herself saying in the quietest voice...

"Stefan... you _do _believe me don't you?"

* * *

><p><strong>DAMON'S POV<strong>

Damon woke up to find blood smeared on bed sheets. _His _bed sheets to be precise.

Within seconds of opening his eyes the nights events quickly came back to him; getting drunk at the bar, Ric somehow finding him there, the drunken brawl with a man twice his size.

_Hm.. that would explain the blood. _

It seemed as though his bodily senses were coming to life one by one. First his weary eyes that struggled to stick to a single image. Double vision seemed to be at a constant these days. He twisted his neck, feeling a wave of relief flourish through him as it cracked several times, the sound bouncing off the walls, igniting his hearing. Then the inflammed, knifing pain through his right hand. Now _that _was hurting. Damon had found himself in many incidents in his life; from falling off a bike and breaking his ankle, a beating from his dad, drunken bar fights - but _this _was just agony and he'd done it to himself. Untreated, misused and it probably looked horrific but Damon didn't dare look. Not just yet.

But then suddenly, he could feel his legs - but he couldn't move them properly. It was like a giant, numbing weight pressing on his lower body, stopping any and all movement except for the twitch of his toes. He worried that someone may have cracked a pool cue on his spine or something last night, but when his eyes reajusted and focused, the reality was far, far worse.

"Good morning Sleepyhead."

Damon gripped the bedsheets with his left hand.

"Isobel."

She blinked down at him with an air of innocence, stroking his cheek lovingly, humming with affection as she sat happily on his hips

"How are you feeling?"

"Awful" he stated, "worse now I've woken up."

"Aww" she pouted, sliding her hand from his cheek down to his chest. Damon shuddered at the touch, her feather light administrations upsetting the bruising at his ribs. Of which, he could tell, she had mistaken for a shudder of appreciation.

"What can I do to make you feel better?" she drawled in a husky, sexual voice that would certainly light some mens fire first thing on a morning. But certainly not Damon's.

Her fingers grazed down his toned stomach, curling through the light trail of hair just above his... he wasn't wearing any boxers.

"You can get off me and take me to the hospital" he ordered, arching his hips to move her away. Again, she forcibly mistook it for something else and ground her hips back against his.

"I don't think I'll be doing that _just _yet." she said, rolling her tongue across her upper lip as she toyed her fingers with the bedsheets that rested dangerously low on his hips and under her body that straddled him.

"Well you can at least get the Hell off me," he spat, glaring at her dangerously.

As much as he kept up the bravado, he knew it was the wrong thing to say to her.

Through the flimsy sheets, she snatched her hand out to grab his manhood. Damon hiss at the intrusion as she squeezed him between her fingers, squinting his eyes shut as she lowered herself down to his face. He could feel her hair tickling his jaw line and her sour, morning breath breathing against his ear.

"What have I been telling you Damon? About disobeying me? About refusing me?"

He didn't answer. He just focused on keeping his rage dormant.

"Your silence speaks volumes Damon. You knew better than to play games with me. Refusing me Thursday? No word from you yesterday. Drunk in a bar last night instead of being with me? Surely you knew that would upset me, Damon..."

He shot his eyes open to find her staring at him. His left hand darted to her right that continued to stroke his length into arousal. Bad move again. With her other hand, she yanked his injured right and _squeezed._

The pain was like nothing else. Like a deep burning that crawled through his arm, his tendons and nerves on fire. First he managed to contain it by growling through clenched teeth. He didn't want to give her the satisfaction. But when she chose a single finger, probably the worst looking of the bunch and proceed to push it back into itself, an act that hurts regardless, he couldn't help but scream with the pain.

"You fucking bitch!" he spat, "You twisted, evil-"

"Ah, ah, ah! be careful what you say Damon. Otherwise could be more than just a few notes I slip into students lockers if you upset me further..."

"...What?"

"That's riiiiight," she cooed, like a gameshow host after the contestant announces the correct answer. "I thought as punishment i'd throw a little spanner into the words for you. No doubt the rumours of you _sleeping _with Elena Gilbert will have circulated around each and every student by now. Wonder how Elena is dealing with that..."

Damon couldn't find the words. He flopped his head back onto his pillow, shutting his eyes and wondering how life got so fucked up in the space of a week. He sighed deeply, trying to ignore the sound his rampant heartbeat that seemed to pulse through his ears.

"I may as well turn myself in now..." he said in acceptance, feeling there was little else he could do and far too exhausted to put up a fight which would only land himself in further trouble.

"Not just yet," Isobel said. Damon opened one eye to look at her. "If you redeem yourself for your lack of involvement with me in the last two days, i'll confirm to all and sundry that it is a horrible, horrible rumour - for you and I have been seeing each other for a while, and we're incredibly happy. And with Elena no doubt backing your corner, you'll be completely in the clear."

"Seems a little easier said than done, Isobel" said Damon, trying to sit up as he saw her hand creeping back towards his manhood under the thin fabric of the sheets.

"I can assure you everything will be as it was. Give it a couple of days for the novelty to wear off and everything will be fine. Elena may still be the victim of abuse in your classes, but I'm sure if she moved to mine I can keep a watchful eye to make sure no one bothers her."

Damon smirked, almost laughing to himself, "you've really thought this out haven't you?"

She didn't say anything, but the spark in her eyes spoke for her. She was very, very pleased with herself.

"So... how about we get down to business?" she said, her voice switching to cheap pornstar mode as she grinded against his hips once more.

Damon was about to protest the moment her finger pressed against his swollen, bottom lip to keep him silent. As she slipped it away to remove the tacky, lace-type garment that concealed her body, what difference would it actually make if he did protest? These notes in lockers were a massive warning, enough to probably land him with a police interrogation as a precaution. Isn't that going to look grand on his records? Either way she was going to destroy his life for her benefit. And as much as his skin crawled by a simple touch from her, this was the easiest option. Afterall, it'll be far more easier to find an escape route this way than behind cold, iron bars...

He remained completely still as Isobel ever so slowly lowered her bare upper body to blanket his. Throughout the whole action as she began to nuzzle kisses into his neck, Damon kept his eyes closed, imagining it was Elena here with him. He found himself right there with her, staring up into her eyes that beamed down into his, bursting with love and admiration that she was there in his company. Her skin flawless and smooth to the touch, her cheek cupped into his warm palm, her eyes fluttering as he would stroke back the few strands of rich, dark hair that would escape from behind her ridiculously small and cute ears. It wasn't long before he imagined her glorious, naked body perched on his. His fingertips ghosting across her supple hips, causing her to sigh with content as she arched backwards, kneading his length teasingly.

"'Lena.." he groaned, completely lost in his thoughts.

A hand connected to the side of his head with a sharp 'slapping' sound. It wasn't painful, not compared to what Damon's body had coped with in the last day or so, but it was hard enough to leave a ringing sound in his ears.

"Jeez, what the fuck was that for?" he hissed, focusing his eyes on Isobel's face where her cheap, dark-red lipstick had smudged across her lips from her lazy kisses all over his neck and body.

"_That _name" she growled, her half-naked body almost shaking with anger as she glowered down at him. "_Her _name is off limits to you."

Damon hadn't realized he'd been saying Elena's name aloud. He couldn't help but smirk at his small victory. He even felt it suitable to wiggle his eyebrows up at Isobel with satisfaction, before reclining back as though it were nothing.

Her hand raised to hit him again the moment the door knocked, along with several hits of the buzzer. Damon used to despise how the door would _always _knock when he was with Elena. It was like an unspoken rule; Damon Salvatore is with Elena Gilbert - sound the alarm! But these days he welcomed inconvenient door-knocking with open arms.

"Seriously?" moaned Isobel, looking over her shoulder to Damon's half open bedroom door. Whoever was at the door didn't have plans to be leaving any time soon. It was a continuous knock that demanded an answer. "Don't move."

"I won't" said Damon, watching her crawl off his body, wrapping her equally lacy and tacky looking dressing-gown around her body and skulking out of the door. As soon as she had disappeared, Damon was up and out of his bed, dragging a pair of jeans over his legs with the singular use of his left arm with surprising ease.

He heard the door opening as he struggled to get a black t-shirt over his head. His entire torso felt like it was being stretched to its limits as he raised his arms. He'd never done any extensive damage to the area before, so didn't know if any ribs were broken or what. Not that anything could be done about them even if they were.

"C'mon you son of a..." with difficultly, Damon slipped his right arm through the sleeve but only to knock it against the wall once it was through, "Bitch!" he hissed, growling in agony as he cradled his right hand to his chest. Feeling a sweat break out of his strained body.

"And you're telling me _that _doesn't need a hospital?"

Damon blinked across to find Alaric stood with a very disgruntled Isobel at the doorway.

"Oh thank Christ you're here Ric" groaned Damon, bumping his head against the wall as he breathed through the waves of pain that rippled back and forth through his arm.

"I was planning on taking him myself if he didn't improve," said Isobel, quite pathetically Damon noted as he brushed past the two of them into the expanse of his lounge to grab his precious leather jacket, wondering how on earth it made it back into his possession. It was probably Ric. Or Super-Ric as Damon thought of him. Always coming to save the day.

"Ric, car keys, lets move" Damon ordered.

"Wait I need to get dressed," Isobel announced.

"No need. You don't need to hold my hand," retorted Damon with a backward glance over his shoulder.

"Fine," he heard her say through clenched teeth. "But don't think for a second that I won't be here when you get back..."

Damon turned to look at her with equally as much irrefutable hate as herself. Thankfully, Alaric played dumb, but Damon knew he was completely aware of what was going on. He was a smart man, and Damon had a gut feeling the reason he kept coming to his aid was because he knew of Isobel's actions. His drunken ramblings from the night before were somehow enough to be true to Alaric. They shared a knowing look for the slightest of seconds before Damon quickly flashed his sarcastic 'i'm so happy!' smile at Isobel and turned to leave the house with Alaric in tow.

Within a matter of minutes they were in Alaric's car, driving in silence down the empty roads. Damon vaguely remembered being sprawled in the back seat only a few hours ago.

"I didn't vom in your car did I?" he said, the first words spoken since they'd left Isobel at his apartment.

"Thankfully you had completely blacked out before you had the chance to do that. Gotta say the blood stains were a little tricky though."

"Oh... right... sorry about that" said Damon, squinting his sensitive, blue eyes as the morning sunlight beamed it's overpowering rays through the windshield, the heat making him feel more so like a sack of shit.

"So..." began Alaric with a strained sigh, rapping his fingers on the steering wheel in thought, "how long does Isobel plan to keep up this love charade with you, huh?"

"Until the school year is out" said Damon, trying to ignore the swell of dread that puffed in his chest at the thought.

"And you really believe she'll live up to her part of the deal?"

"Of course I don't believe her Alaric. She'll keep this up until I'm sat in a rocking chair on the porch with a bag of piss permanently attached to me."

"So what are you gonna do about it?" said Alaric, indicating left to take the final turn towards Mystic Falls Hospital.

Damon frowned as he attempted to flex his right hand in his lap, each finger mottled green and purple from bruising, then he looked up with the frown still deep in place.

"I have no idea, Ric. No fucking idea at all."

* * *

><p><em>So there you have it! Isobel just doesn't give up does she? But yay for Team Badass, back on form as usual hehe. Please, pretty please let me know your thoughts and feelings of this chapter. It was a tricky one for me to write and I'm just hoping it's come across well enough for you all. I'd hate to disappoint!<em>

_Next chapter is going to be a busy one. It's Monday morning, which means Delena are face to face again... but under what circumstances... ?_

_Big Delena hugs for all!_

_Anna x _


	23. Chapter 23

_Heeeey everyone!_

_As an apology for the slow update in the last couple of weeks, I'm treating you all to this chapter nice and early. I notice I've lost a couple of regular reviewers in the last chapter *sobs* I hope this is not the case! For those who have reviewed, thank you very much for your comments. Reviews are what spur a writer on and to me it's like Christmas come early! So as a thank you, I give you a lil' bit of Delena in this chapter and I promise you LOADS of Delena in the last few chapters to come. You heard me, last few! The end is almost upon us! DUN DUN DUUUUUUUN!_

_But until then, I give you Monday morning... *takes in deep breath.*_

* * *

><p><strong>ELENA'S POV<strong>

And so came Monday morning. The best and worst day of the week.

In less than an hour Elena would be sat at her desk in classroom E6.

She would be face to face with Damon for the first time since their relationship crashed headfirst into crisis. The discovery, the break-up, the rumours, the unknown - all were about to be faced with thirty pairs of eyes watching her go through it all in silence with no where to run and no one to turn to.

Elena grabbed onto Bonnie's wrist.

"I can't do this."

"Yes you can" assured Bonnie stepping in front of Elena to take her hands. Elena looked up from her feet, seeing the support yet uncertainty shining in Bonnie's eyes as they stood face to face on the sidewalk.

"I'm going to fall apart I know it" said Elena, her voice growing incredibly weak as she struggled to keep her panic at bay. Bonnie squeezed her hands tighter.

"You wont because you know you _can't. _Whatever you're about to face in school today, you have to face with strength. You've got yourself this far and you did that alone. You've got me now hun. I know you can keep going."

Elena managed a soft smile, nodding at her friend who truly believed in her. If she crumbled under pressure it would be game over for Damon. This was her way of protecting him and she had to succeed. All she had to do was walk into that classroom like she had done thousands of times before with any other. She would laugh with Bonnie, rummage through her bag for her homework, flop down into her seat and proceed to listen and learn. The model student. That was all she had to be and she knew she could do it.

"Lets go," Elena said, keeping hold of Bonnie's hand a little while longer until Mystic Falls High came into view.

"Hey guys, wait for me!"

Elena jolted at the shrill of her unexpected voice behind them. She continued in a steady walk without looking behind, leaving the 'good morning' ritual to Bonnie.

She did a mental countdown of how long it would take for Caroline to bring Friday night up.

Three

Two

One-

"So seriously Elena, is it true?"

Her voice was oozing with curiosity as she hooked her arm through Elena's, the smell of her sweet, rosy perfume washing over her senses. As much as Elena knew Caroline's airy and flippant character, it still bugged her that Caroline didn't even think _once_ to go about the teacher/student gossip with a little sensitivity. Just once in the whole of their friendship, _this_ would have been the perfect time to do so.

"No it isn't true. And I swear to God Caroline if you so much as badger me one more time for the juicy details you're never going to get, you're no better than the bitches who were harassing me the other night."

Elena looked back and forth between the gob-smacked faces of Caroline and Bonnie, before setting her mouth in a straight line and turning to walk towards the school grounds again, not regretting a single one of those words that fled from her mouth. No more playing innocent and weak. She was going to be strong with everything that would be thrown at her today.

"Elena..."

_Oh great..._

"Stefan I am _not _in the mood for you," she said, raising her hand to his face as he came bounding over to her. She carried on walking, not even bothering to look at him. She was done with him.

"I just wanted to apologise for-"

"For what? For not believing me? For threatening to tell everyone? For treating me like crap while you drove me home?" she rushed, twirling around to face him dead on, her hair fanning around her body with a heavy swoosh.

"For all of it, I've only just realized what a complete dick I was."

"Too little too late."

She moved to walk away but he grab her hand.

"I was just angry with _him."_

"But he hasn't done anything!" she argued.

"No, just banged you while reciting Hamlet together..." came an unidentifiable male voice as they passed in the hallway, clearly eavesdropping on her confrontation with Stefan. Echoes of laughter circled around Elena as she bit her lip, staring down to the floor to hold the stinging of her tears back.

Neither she or Stefan knew what to say after that.

"Elena come on," came Bonnie's voice, in a tone that told Elena she had heard the whole thing.

Without another word to Stefan, Elena allowed Bonnie to lead her on through the heaving crowds, making sure to keep her head low so no one noticed her as they made their way to English class.

As much as she recited to herself to play it cool, act normal, like it's just another day, her heart was pumping twice as hard and her legs gradually felt weaker as they walked the all too familiar hallways. Her mind became void of all sense, even trying to picture Damon was difficult. She kept her alarmed, dark eyes fixed to the dirty floor beneath her feet, noticing how sticky the laminate was beneath her soles, wondering why the janitor didn't do a better job of it, because it really was quite filthy and-

"Whore..." breathed a female voice into her face, completed with a hard shove that knocked Elena and Bonnie into the wall.

"What the Hell?" mumbled Bonnie, sounding a little uneasy incase she was actually confronted by someone who was happy to start a fight. But whoever the girl was, she had disappeared into the crowds. Elena could only hear what was happening around her for she was too afraid to so much as lift her head an inch.

"Can you see?" Elena hissed, stroking her fingertips through her hair so it partially covered her face like a veil. She meant to say 'can you see Damon?' but didn't dare breath a whisper of his name. But Bonnie understood.

"Nothing yet, but we're here now. He could be sat at his desk."

"We'll be looking out for the eye-sex," tormented a male voice. It sounded very much like Tyler's. Elena blinked upwards in time to see him wink at her with a crude look. Bonnie smacked him on the arm as hard as she could.

"You're an ass, Tyler!"

He burst into laughter with a few others, and Elena felt a tiny jab of pain as she swore one of those voices belonged to Matt.

The whole situation was overwhelming. Elena saw she was a step or two away from entering the classroom when she would finally settle her eyes on Damon for the first time in nearly a week. As she backed up to do a runner, Bonnie discreetly held her hand.

"You _have_ to do this," she said, her voice low and serious. Elena soaked in her words like a sponge, inhaled a deep breath and walked inside.

...

Damon wasn't there anyway.

A momentary sigh of relief escape Elena's lips, as it made the walk to her desk that little more bearable with the several pairs of eyes watching her every single step. But no sooner as she dumped her bag onto her desk, Damon's absence begged the question;

_So if he's not here, then where exactly is he?_

The worry wobbled through her tiny frame, her fingers flittering, causing her to drop her note pad. The heavy 'thump' made everyone look and giggle under their breath. She felt like a little kid being the subject of senseless bullying as she kneeled down to retrieve her book. Her blood beating through her ears as she moved back to sit in her seat, forcing herself to ignore everyone.

"What act did we get up to?" Elena asked Bonnie, _needing _some conversation.

"Oh," quipped Bonnie, flipping through her pages. "I actually don't know, that's usually your job to remember!"

Elena felt normal and calm for the whole of five seconds that Bonnie spoke. No sooner as the exchange was done, she was straight back to fretting over Damon. He still wasn't here and it was ticking past the nine o' clock hour. She bravely glanced to the door, noticing people watching her in the corner of her eye as she did so, and looked straight back to her note pad again, taking extra time to write the date to keep herself busy.

Another minute or so dragged by - still no Damon.

The sound of Elena's heavy breathing hadn't gone unnoticed by Bonnie. Elena tapped her pen, shook her leg under the table, bit her lip, glanced round to find a group of boys at the front pouting at her with amusement. This. Was. _UNBEARABLE._

A few moments later, a familiar substitute teacher breezed into the room, shrugging off her coat and dumping it over Damon's chair like it were her own and like she'd taught this class a hundred times before.

This was not a good sign. Not a good sign at all.

"Good Morning E6, I'm Mrs Peterson as I'm sure some of you may know, and i'll be teaching your class today..."

The room broke out into a series of whispers.

Clicking the pen that she tapped so hard it left indentations in her paper, Elena scrawled messily in the corner of her book and elbowed Bonnie to read it.

**_Can't take it, Bon. Where is he!_**

Bonnie was about to reply by writing back, but she quickly nodded over to the door. Elena looked over, feeling her heart leap into her mouth, only to sink to her feet when she saw her Uncle John standing by the door.

The class fell into complete silence.

"Elena could you come with me please" he said sternly.

A collective gasp and burst of whispers broke out in the room again. The walls seemed to squeeze in on Elena, making her feel incredibly claustrophobic as she continued to stare at her estranged Uncle. Bonnie's gentle touch landed on her forearm, a silent support for Elena, unable to do much else. With legs that didn't seem to feel like her own, Elena stood out of her chair, her eyes landing on Stefan's momentarily. He looked a mixture of things; sympathetic, confused, accusing. Elena looked away, scared that he might suss her out as he never _did_ say whether truly he believed her the other night. He just parked outside her house, said his goodbyes and drove away, leaving Elena in further disarray about his loyalties. Her plan to have him on her side, all but dashed.

Elena approached her Uncle with apprehension, running through all the different scenarios of what could happen in the next few minutes. Would she be questioned? Would she find out Damon was already holed away in prison? Would a bright light be burned into her eyes as they demanded to know where he was hiding? Would Damon be there wherever she was being taken? Would she finally see him after days of not knowing what was happening to him? So many questions and so little hallway to walk down as she followed her Uncle towards the room where he had lead her so many times before. The faculty lounge.

And so it begins... whatever 'it' is.

Upon entry Elena met the eyes of Principal Lockwood. Elena smiled softly, but it was not returned. Mrs Lockwood slowly blinked and gestured for Elena to take a seat at the table in the middle of the room. The silence was deafening as she carefully settled against the cold, hard plastic of a chair, suddenly remembering the time Damon found her in here alone. She remembered how he tried to lift her spirits, how he stared at her, how he offered her support when her Uncle was trying to damage what little support she had alone. Whatever she lacked in life, Damon filled those spaces up. Strength, courage, love, laughter and above all, the determination to keep going no matter what life threw at her - and this was life throwing one heck of a curve ball.

"I'm sure you know what this is about, Elena" said her Uncle behind her while closing the door.

She didn't say a word for she didn't know how to begin. She glanced up at Mrs Lockwood, then to her Uncle who slowly stood beside her. They were waiting for her to speak.

"I do," Elena said, her voice a little course and raspy.

"And I'm sure you know that these..._ rumours, _are very serious allegations against Mr Salvatore and we need to get to the bottom of this as quickly as possible."

His words were hard, cold and like a brick slamming to Elena's chest.

"We need you to tell us everything that you know." John said, leaning over the chair, his face shadowed by the harsh lighting above them.

Elena looked back and forth between them, trying to control her wavering breaths.

"The truth is..." she began, cut off by her need to swallow, her mouth parched and in need of moisture. "...The truth is, is that there's nothing to tell"

"What do you mean there's 'nothing to tell' Elena?" asked Mrs Lockwood, folding her arms and cocking her head to the side with curiosity.

"It means exactly that Mrs Lockwood. There is nothing I can tell you, because this is a complete _lie _that someone has made up about me."

The door unexpectedly opened at that moment. Elena watched as her Uncle and Principal snapped their heads up in unison. Elena followed suit, to quickly find herself trying to bottle up her darkest emotions that threatened to burst as Isobel Flemming stood at the open door.

"Oh my, am I interrupting something?" she said, hand to her chest, sincerity pouring out of her while Elena _knew _the woman was completely aware of what was going on. She gripped her fingers to the plastic seating at either side of her legs, her fingernails scratching the surface, knuckles popping with the tension.

"We were going to inform teachers of this particular situation later today Miss Flemming, it's nothing for you to concern yourself with at the moment" explained John.

_What? They're going to tell everyone! ?_

Elena whimpered a little, but it was unheard over the hushed talking from teachers above her. She watched as Isobel fished for information, playing the concerned role, eyebrows raised, hand to her lips, she even began to glance at Elena with sympathy. Elena narrowed her watery eyes at Isobel, her enemy, the woman who had destroyed _everything._

"I hope this is not about the notes that I overheard students talking about earlier" said Isobel, surprising everyone. The woman kept her cool, playing her part incredibly well.

"As a matter of fact it is," admitted John, suddenly welcoming Isobel in the room to join in the fun. Elena squeezed her eyes shut and looked down to her knees. Her eyes were screaming for the tears to fall, seeping out between her eyelashes but she managed to hold them within.

"Then I feel I must say something," Isobel said, circling around the table, making sure everyone knew that she had some news on the tip of her tongue, going as far as to eye everyone individually

"Well?" Mrs Lockwood pushed, stepping closer to her employee.

"As inappropriate as this may be to announce in front of Elena..." the woman dared to place her hand on the curve of Elena's shoulder. Elena winced as though she'd just been scolded, recoiling from the woman's palm, only to feel Isobel squeeze her flesh, keeping her still. "Myself and Mr Salvatore have been... we have been seeing each other for quite some time. I apologise, I didn't want to reveal it this way, but with such serious accusations against him and Miss Gilbert here, I couldn't keep this quiet. These rumours are ridiculous fabrications made by an attention seeking student who needs to be found and punished. I can assure you that none of it is true."

Silence billowed through the room once more.

Elena stared blankly at the table, shaking under Isobel's hand that had gently begun to slide to her upper arm, stroking her supportively, with an almost maternal instinct. It sickened Elena, she finally glared up at Isobel who smiled down at her; warm, compassionate, kind, but with a sly spark in her dark eyes. An exchange of looks that could only be recognised between the two of them. The sound of Jonathan Gilbert releasing a hefty breath, broke the silence.

"Still... I would like to hear a confirmation from Elena that these intimacy's between herself and Mr Salvatore are indeed false. As much as your word is plausible Mrs Flemming, this is still a very serious matter."

"They are _false." _barked Elena, with so much resentment and anger that she barely recognised it as her own, "these rumours have been created by some sick, _twisted_ individual with nothing better to do than ruin other people's lives for their own amusement. Mr Salvatore is a _wonderful_ teacher and has been incredibly helpful to me, having understanding what it's like to loose a parent and knowing how to cope with such a difficult loss. And if he's judged so horribly for being the supportive teacher that schools desperately look for, then you'll be losing one of the best you'll ever have in this place."

Elena silently cheered to herself for delivering such a winning speech. She left each and every one of them dumbfounded. They clearly didn't expect her to stand up for herself. But she had and she was proud of herself. She smiled as she felt Isobel Flemming slowly release her grip from her shoulder.

"Okay," said Mrs Lockwood, palming her hands together, "Miss Flemming thank you for your information. We'll be sure to take it on board."

The way she spoke told Isobel it was her time to leave the room. Elena didn't look at her enemy, but instead heard her heels take three muffled steps and the door open and close, leaving her with her Uncle and Principal once more.

She had won over Isobel. A small victory, but it was a win nonetheless.

"I am sure what you're what you're saying is true, Elena" said John, grabbing Elena's full attention as she shuffled a little in her seat. "You're not one to lie, you understand the difference between right and wrong, and you're a sensible young woman. But we have to be sure."

"You have everything you need Uncle John. I'm telling you nothing is happening between myself and my teacher. And clearly he's going out with Miss Flemming. I'm sure if... if you talked to him, brought him here, he'll tell you the same."

Elena suddenly felt her nerves flicker with the look her Uncle gave her as he backed away from the table to busy himself by making a cup of coffee.

"Mr Salvatore is currently undergoing a police interrogation. As of an hour ago to be precise, so it is no surprise Miss Flemming is none the wiser. He has been excused from teaching for the next fortnight or so. But not entirely for these accusations."

Elena felt her entire body begin to shake as she raised from her seat.

"What do you mean not entirely?" she shook, "Why the police? Why did any of this need to-"

"It was completely necessary. Surely you understand this situation had to be thoroughly examined," John stated, sipping on his coffee and looking over to his niece who stood like a shaking leaf in a blustery wind.

"But this... it just seems so... so unfair" Elena whispered, suddenly feeling the arms of Mrs Lockwood cupping her shoulders.

"It is a lot to take in, I understand that" spoke Mrs Lockwood, smoothing her hand through Elena's long hair as though she were an upset child in need of mothering. "But it's only right that this was taken further not only for your safety, but for the safety of others."

Elena watched her Uncle notice something, or someone as he walked past her towards the door. She turned to find him blocking the window, he quickly excused himself and slipped out of the room, opening the door enough to allow his body to squeeze through.

_"What's going on here?" _Elena caught John say, straining her ears to hear more.

"If you'd prefer to go back to class that is your decision, but we're strongly considering that you move to another until further notice."

Elena wasn't listening to her Principal and instead moving out of her hold towards the door.

"Elena come away from the door please."

"_You'll have to wait a moment, we still have my niece inside..."_

"Can I go back to class now?" Elena asked Mrs Lockwood, needing to get out of the Faculty lounge so she could see the mystery person her Uncle was conversing with.

"Not just yet. We need to..."

Elena threw caution to the wind and threw open the door.

...

She almost fainted.

"Elena go back inside," said her Uncle.

But she couldn't.

Elena couldn't tear her eyes away from Damon. She couldn't move, she couldn't speak, she could only stare and take in his bruised and battered form that stood within touching distance from her.

He was just as surprised to see her as she was to see him. She noticed his eyes, dull and void, suddenly light up when he laid them on her, amidst the bruising that blotched his once healthy, alabaster skin. She felt a disturbing chill cradle her spine, as the realization of what he must have been through in the last few days hit her hard.

She couldn't ask how he got those bruises.

She couldn't tell him everything was okay.

She couldn't let him know she understood what Isobel was doing to them.

She couldn't tell him she was still there for him.

And above all - there wasn't a single thing she could do to comfort him.

"We'll go to my office," Mrs Lockwood stated. Her words were distant and echoey as Elena blinked several times to notice her Uncle was talking in hushed voices to two policemen, one stood directly besides Damon and she hadn't even noticed them.

She was desperate to say something, anything to clear Damon's name but she feared it would only make matters worse for him. It felt like she was being torn apart from the inside out as she stared into his sorrowful eyes. A small smile, for the briefest moment, flickered on his pale lips. He knew she couldn't do anything, he was telling her that with the simplest of looks.

_I love you _she thought, wishing they had the power to read minds as she was finally being ushered away by Mrs Lockwood. She didn't want to leave, she wanted to stay with Damon, even in the most agonizing of situations. It didn't matter, it was better to be with him than completely without him.

They were turning the corner, and Elena looked at Damon one last time, and then he was gone.

As much as she wanted to hold it together she couldn't help but begin to sob as she was being lead away from the building. Mrs Lockwood produced a few, scrappy pieces of tissue and Elena took them, dabbing away the few tears that spilled.

"I can imagine that was difficult, sweetie" coddled the woman, her hands lightly placed around Elena's as they made their way to her office.

"How did he get so hurt?" Elena asked, feeling it was innocent enough, she had just seen her teacher black and blue in front of her, she would ask that about anyone.

"There was an incident," was all Principal Lockwood said, opening the door to her bland, little office and offering Elena a seat inside.

Elena perched onto the hard leather chair, watching Principal Lockwood's every move, wondering where it was all going to go from here.

"None of it's true Mrs Lockwood," she whispered, earning a surprised look from her Principal, Elena didn't know whether it was a good or bad thing, but right now she was too emotionally drained to over think things. "Mr Salvatore is innocent. He's innocent I swear..."

"...That will be for the police to decide Miss Gilbert. Now - which classroom to put you in until further notice..."

* * *

><p><strong>DAMON'S POV<strong>

Aside from his mother's funeral, today had to be one of the longest and most painful days of Damon Salvatore's life.

Despite constructing a fool proof plan with Isobel in the early hours should he be called in for questioning, to being abruptly lead from his house at 8am by police officers, to an hour long interrogation with tough, unclear, crude and difficult questions thrown at him, the hardest part had to be standing face to face with Elena and not being able to touch or speak to her.

Yeah... that was definitely the hardest part to deal with.

She looked... jeez, he didn't even know where to begin with that. The state he was in must have horrified her. The fact he was there in school at all must have horrified her. It was all so unexpected and she handled it incredibly well. She didn't give anything away, except to stare with her sorrowful, doe eyes. But you could pin that on anything, in particular the fact she was having 'horrible rumours' spread about her all over the school. She was a tough cookie, and Damon was proud of her.

But as much as seeing her did him a world of good, it didn't change the fact that the last she saw of him he was kissing Isobel. The thought alone made him long for a stiff, alcoholic drink. As wishful-thinking as it was, Damon still felt that Elena understood the situation. She knew what Isobel was like with him, it wouldn't come to that much of a surprise to learn that Isobel would be willing to blackmail him now would it?

The door to the faculty lounge opened... at long last.

Damon half-listened to the cops explain that his classroom had been searched, and that he was free to go in and collect any belongings he wished. They were making it sound like he wouldn't be returning at all - not that Damon would mind.

"We'll give you fifteen minutes" one said, standing aside to allow him to leave. He'd been hollowed up in that fucking lounge for the entire day while questioning continued with Jonathan first and then Isobel, now that she was his..._ girlfriend. _Ugh, the shudders at that 'fact' never ceased to riddle his body.

As much as Damon wanted to show the cops how much they were pissing him off with glares, frowns, the clenching of jaws and so on, he kept smiling a little, to show an air of innocence, humanity, whatever. But it was wearing thin on them and it didn't really matter. Their cold, disconnected attitude with him never altered once. Innocent until proven guilty? Damon had to suPpress his smirking at that one as he carefully moved out of his seat, making sure not to upset his cracked ribs.

John was stood at his door, looking incredibly angered and hostile. Damon let him have it. After all, it was his _niece _who was apparently being 'corrupted by his charm and manipulative ways' - a popular term the police used on him throughout his questioning to throw him off. It grated on Damon like steel nails to a chalkboard.

Neither man said a word as Damon entered his room. In his mind he expected the place to be ransacked, but looked how it normally did at the end of a school day. The odd chair strewn here and there, papers scattered, forgotten pens on tables. His desk as usual, neat and tidy. There wasn't really much stuff he needed to get. He wasn't one of those people who brought half their home with them to work. He carefully wandered over to his desk, sub-consciously flickering his darkened, blue eyes to Elena's seat at the back of the room.

"Fifteen minutes," echoed one of the cops at the door. "Meet us back at the faculty lounge."

Damon didn't respond. He waited until the door closed until he began fishing through his drawers for his spare apartment keys, cell phone charger (not that it was of any use now he'd trashed it like an idiot) a few books that he indulged in during lunch hour, expensive stationary...

A hand grabbed his shoulder.

Damon twisted around, ready to defend himself against someone who intended to beat his ass down after hearing the rumours. But he was stunned, simply stunned to find none other than..

"Bonnie what are you doing! ?" he hissed, glancing worrying at the door while she flipped out a pen and piece of paper.

"Your address. Write it!" she ordered, undeterred by his bruised face as she stared directly into his eyes.

Damon clenched his jaw and with his left hand, took the pen and paper from her and slid them away.

"You need to leave Miss Bennett."

"It's for-"

"Don't make me tell you again" Damon said, eyes wild, angered that the girl was stupid enough to be here. Because clearly this meant only one thing - Elena had told her.

"It's for Elena!" Bonnie finished, grabbing the pen, then his hands and weaving his fingers around it for him to write, 'Let her find you!"

Damon didn't trust her. Not one bit.

"You mean to let half the boys in this school find me. Bonnie please leave."

Her emotional, brown orbs never left his as she shook her head.

"I would never do that. This is for my best friend. She's in _pieces_ Mr Salvatore. Elena needs you."

Her words jutted through him, chipping away at his heart until it finally knifed to the core.

He pushed the paper and pen back to Bonnie, but before she could protest, he said with a low whisper.

"You need to write. I'm not quick enough with my left, my right is broken."

"Okay," Bonnie said with a flicker of excitement crossing her features.

They rushed through his address, Damon never taking his eyes off the door.

"You got it?"

"Got it" Bonnie said, but still writing something Damon couldn't make out.

"I need your number too Bonnie, she can't come round-"

"That's what I'm writing. We know about Isobel," Bonnie said, looking up at her teacher to find a wave of relief wash over him.

Damon's wishful thinking had paid off.

Bonnie handed him her number.

"Now you need to go. Fast."

"I know."

"Do not let Elena come to me unless i've told you it's okay to do so."

"Yes sir," Bonnie said, stuffing the paper into her coat pocket and quickly hurrying for the door.

Damon didn't need to tell her to be careful. The girl was watching closely for any passer by's. She didn't look back and nor did she say goodbye as she quickly and quietly left his room. He quickly followed suit, hauling whatever possessions he had in the crook of his arm and leaving his classroom, watching Bonnie leave in the distance without a single person detecting her.

"Everything sorted?" asked a police officer, their head poking out of the faculty lounge.

"I think so," Damon said, completely unsure whether he just did the most careless thing he could have possibly done.

He'd just have to wait and see.

* * *

><p><em>Did we like...?<em>

_Please review and let me know your thoughts! I'm going away on holiday next week, so if I get plenty of them I promise to leave you with the juicy Delena chapter i've got brewing in my head for you..._

_Thank you for reading as always!_

_Anna x_


	24. Chapter 24

_Hello there everyone!_

_As promised if you rewarded me with your reviews, I've rewarded you with a chapter before I jet off on my holidays! I can't believe the response for my last chapter, I think it's the most reviews I've had for one so thank you to all of you! I'm so pleased you enjoyed the little Delena moment. I didn't think it was strong enough, but you guys have proved me wrong. You build up my confidence in writing with each review so thank you, thank you, thank you!_

_So here is chapter 24. It's a a big change from the drama we've had lately. And you get that precious 's' word that has been absent from the last few updates... I hope you enjoy it ;-)_

* * *

><p><strong><span>Damon's POV<span>**

"So what's the verdict?" asked Alaric, leaning against the hood of his car as Damon left the hospital building with a grimaced look on his face.

"As I expected; still badly bruised, need to take it easy, no over-using the right hand..."

"Ah okay... it's not your wanking hand is it?"

"Har har," smirked Damon, making sure his fake amusement vanished the moment his friend chose to laugh. "You're freaking hilarious, Ric."

Damon carefully climbed into the front seat, holding his breath as he accidenlty sat too heavily into the car, upsetting his sore rib cage. Three cracked ribs in total; two on the right and one on the left. They hurt like a bitch if he so much as breathed in a little too deep. Alaric waited until he was settled before starting up the car and reversing out of the parking bay.

"Thanks for taking me here Ric, I owe you one" said Damon, reclining his seat back slightly so it was more bearable on his bones. Slouching was out of the question.

"No problem, you need anything else before we head back?"

"Yeah I do now you mention it.."

"No problem, what is it?"

"I need to know what made you change your mind about me?" Damon asked, turning from the window to stare hard at Alaric who kept his eyes on the road, but looked as though he were struggling for an answer.

"To be honest I'm not quite sure," Alaric began, checking his mirrors as he changed lanes, "I suppose I felt I was a little too quick to judge you as one of those slime-ball teachers you read about in the press. That and something niggled at me that your intentions weren't anything sinister, even though I've known you what? All of 3 months? But regardless, I still think what you're doing with Elena is wrong. That I _won't_ change my mind about."

"Well it's not like you have to worry about that anymore. We're over remember." prompted Damon, staring out to the quaint homes of Mystic Falls that passed by.

"Yeah... _over_" scoffed Ric, less than fooled by their false break-up. "So doesn't a single part of you, at all, think that maybe you're risking far too much for just a sixteen year old girl?"

"You'd think there would be wouldn't you?" Mused Damon, smirking to his reflection, "but there isn't. And trust me, I have never been one to fall head over heels in love so easily, or believed in 'the one' or any of that shit. Not really. But with Elena she's - she's worth everything."

Damon didn't look over to Ric once as he spoke, but he could feel him watching, whether it was with humour at his soppy outburst, or in understanding of how he felt about Elena he couldn't quite tell - but a hunch told him it was probably the latter.

They took the second to the last turn towards Damon's apartment.

"So who are you expecting to see first? Isobel or the cops?"

"Ugh the first unfortunately," groaned Damon, earning a silent laugh from Alaric. "The police haven't found any substantial evidence against me so it looks as though I'm peachy-keen."

"And why don't you sound ecstatic by that knowledge?" asked Alaric, taking the final turn to reveal Isobel Flemming waiting outside Damon Salvatore's home.

"Because the only reason why I'm here right now, is because I'm being forced to keep _that_ monstrosity happy, which is like incarceration itself if you ask me..." growled Damon though clenched teeth. He quickly blossoming into a smile of joy, beaming over to the ray of sunshine in his life that was Isobel, waiting for him outside his home. It was becoming harder and harder to amuse himself with sarcasm, when every time he saw the bitch he wanted to throttle her neck... He often dreamed about it.

"Hey swweeetie," he cooed in an overly sugared tone as he eased himself out of the car.

But her usual response, which was usually with as much sweet and sickly sarcasm, never actually came. Damon stood questioningly in front of her as she stared at the ground, dark curls blowing in her face. It was then he'd noticed trails of mascara down her cheeks.

"Don't tell me you're upset that I was ten minutes late," drawled Damon, rolling his eyes to the back of his head as he walked passed her towards the door. She grabbed his upper left arm, holding him back, still silent. "Oh for crying out loud Isobel, what the Hell is wrong with you?" moaned Damon, turning to look at her wallowing face that stared gloomily to the concrete beneath their feet.

"It's my mom she's... she's..." her voice squeaked into a gasp, unable to utter the final word.

Damon knew what that word was.

"Oh.." he began, actually feeling a little guilty that he _didn't_ feel a single ounce of sympathy for her as she began to weep on his driveway. He looked across to Alaric for help.

"Do you need a ride home, Isobel?" Alaric asked, stepping in closer.

"I'd appreciate it," she managed, still gripping tight on Damon's arm. He frowned at how hard her nails kneeded into his skin.

"Why did you bother coming here?" Damon asked, not giving her the hug that he could see she wanted.

"Because I got the call when I was walking here after work and I... I need to go" she decided, fiercely rubbing away the tears, causing more make-up to smudge around her red-rimmed eyes.

"Then I'll take you, Iz. C'mon," said Alaric, taking hold of her arm.

"Wait just give us a minute," she asked, making sure Alaric backed away towards the car so he was out of ear shot.

Damon quickly planted a concerned look on his face as she turned to him. Her bottom lip quivering, her nose running, looking terribly unattractive. But Damon forced his left hand to stroke her dry, dark hair behind her ears in a somewhat affectionate way.

He did what he could to keep in her good books.

"Don't even _think_ about inviting** _her _**here" she sobbed, the tears falling rapidly now like free-flowing water. Damon was amazed she could even think about Elena when she'd just learnt her mother had passed away. She should be mourning about her loss, sobbing about how amazing her mother was to him yet she was far more concerned about a man who didn't love her, or even like her, bringing another girl to the house.

"Will you call me when you arrive at your parents?" he said, batting off her comment like it didn't matter, like he was more worried for her welfare. When in actual fact he was silently dancing around the whole neighborhood at the knowledge he would be free of her. Even just for a little while. Damn it was going to be bliss!

"I will. It'll be late tonight, perhaps tomorrow morning depending on what happens with my dad."

"No problem. Just take care on the roads."

She nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck, squeezing her lips onto his in a suffocating kiss. As usual, Damon was pulling a face through the whole ordeal, trying not to gag as her salty tears and hot breath mingled with his mouth. When she eventually pulled back, Damon patted her on the shoulder in a way that said 'you better get going.'

And thankfully she did.

Alaric opened the car door for her and she crawled in, never looking up from the floor. Damon watched closely as they pulled out of his driveway. He may as well have walked inside because she never did look up to see him as they left down the street.

But did he care?

Nope.

No sooner had the car vanished around the corner, Damon had his his new phone flipped out out of pocket. It sounded simple to retrieve Elena's number from someone, now he had a new phone, but Isobel was checking his phone _very_ closely and when the first bill would come through, she would check that as well and be likely to dial each number to see who he had been conversing with.

Damon realized he would need to explain this to Bonnie as he dialed her number...

* * *

><p><strong><span>Elena's POV<span>**

"Jeremy will you turn it down!" yelled Elena, sprawled bedroom floor where she attempted to do some history homework amid her fortress of books on the carpet. "Jeremy!"

The music was vibrating through the entire house, enough to make objects rattle, even her photos on the wall. If anything it seemed like it was getting louder. Elena snapped her book shut and stormed through her bathroom that she shared with her recluse, younger brother. She shook the door handle to his room but it was locked.

"Jeremy!" she shouted, knocking heavily on the door, rattling the handle some more, then reverting back to yelling. He was having none of it.

Elena slumped against the door tiredly, knowing it was useless. Jeremy was getting worse and becoming less sociable with herself and Aunt Jenna. Time was clearly not healing him.

Somehow over the music, Elena heard the door. She always became uneasy when the doorbell jingled or someone rapped at the handle these days. She wasn't expecting anyone, therefore assumed it was the police, ready with the badges shoved in her face, telling her she would need to come with them or something.

Her worry increased as she tip-toed down the stairs. Through the peephole, she taunted herself for being so paranoid as she opened the door to reveal a very happy looking Bonnie Bennett on her doorstep.

"Oookaay has your dad won the lottery or something?" Elena asked.

"Even better" beamed Bonnie, smiling from ear to ear, her phone clutched to her chest as she let herself in. Elena closed the door behind them with a look of wonder.

"What's this about?" she queried, amazed that there could ever be such a thing as good news anymore.

Bonnie twirled on her feet, ready to reveal all.

"I just got off the phone with Mr Salvatore. He says you're free to go around to his apartment to spend the evening with him right now."

Elena stood slack-jawed. She repeated Bonnie's words very slowly in her head.

"What do you mean, Bon?"

Bonnie's brown eyes darted upstairs to see if Jeremy was hovering around, but she quickly grabbed Elena's hands anyway and lead her into the living room to talk privately.

"Is Jenna out?"

"Yeah she's at The Grill. Bonnie, what's going on?"

"Tell her you're staying at mine tonight," said Bonnie in a hushed tone, "I took it upon myself the other day to speak to Mr Salvatore. I got his number, he got mine, he's given me his address because it's safe for you to see him. Isobel is out of town, so it's the perfect opportunity!"

Elena held her hand up to Bonnie, unable to digest everything that she was saying.

"Whoa-whoa, slow down - is this for real?"

"Of course it is! Here!"

Bonnie shoved her phone into Elena's palm that was still held up. Elena skimmed over the brightly lit screen to see an address. She recognized the number, the street name, she looked up at Bonnie with disbelief.

"You did this for me?"

Bonnie smiled and placed her hand on Elena's thigh, "of course I did. You were so tortured by everything, I couldn't just sit back when I felt I had a chance to do something about it. I didn't tell you because I didn't want to get your hopes up. But he called tonight, he said it's safe."

"Oh my God," Elena said with a smile, a genuine smile. She looked up and threw her arms around Bonnie, "Thank you so much Bonnie!"

"Never mind that, you need to get your overnight stuff packed!"

Elena nodded frantically and quickly raced upstairs with Bonnie close behind her.

* * *

><p>Less than half an hour later, Elena and Bonnie were huddled under an umbrella, trenching through the streets of Mystic Falls while the rain pelted to the ground around them.<p>

"It's at times like this I wish I had a car already," laughed Bonnie, teeth chattering as they hurried down the street.

Elena glanced down at Bonnie's phone, then to the street sign across the road. It matched. They had found it without a hitch!

"We're here," Elena smiled, thinking that less than an hour ago she was slaving away over homework and now she was about to spend a whole evening with Damon. Not an hour. Not a rushed meeting in whispers. But an whole evening without interruption. She couldn't imagine anything better.

"I'll turn back from here. Have a good time, hun" Bonnie said, rubbing Elena's arm before turning away.

"Bonnie take the umberella. It's the least I can do for now," Elena laughed. Bonnie rolled her eyes and took it, quickly hugging her best friend.

"Don't worry about a thing. You know I have it covered," Bonnie said.

"I know, and thank you. I owe you one."

"A hot fudge sundae at The Grill sometime will do just fine," said Bonnie, taking the umberella with a wink and quickly turning back the way they came.

Elena wasted no time tugging the hood of her jacket over her head and hurrying over towards Damon's apartment. She could remember the street now. It was all coming back. She was literally a minute or so away...

...

She was here. She had made it.

Elena didn't glance for oncoming traffic as she bounded across the roads, her footsteps sloshing in the powerful rain that drummed on the ground so hard that it bounced. The hood of her flimsy, black jacket slipped from her head, the rain continuing to beat down onto her face as she raced against the heavy winds towards Damon's apartment door.

The girl almost collapsed against the wooden surface, her wet fingers slipping over the buzzer several times, the noise bleating for his attention. Whether it was with the cold, the wet, or the anticipation of seeing Damon, Elena began to shiver on the spot as she stepped backwards from the door, watching with eager eyes for the door to open.

And then a warm, shaft of light melted onto her cool skin.

He was there.

He was really there.

So relieved, so excited, so overwhelmed by simply being before him, Elena had barely taken him in as she leaped forward and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

"Damon!" she breathed, laughing warmly to herself as it suddenly became real that she was here, that he was there, holding her tiny frame with his left hand, squeezing her as close as he possibly could to his body without causing pain. She stroked her hands through his thick, raven hair, inhaling his scent and breathing out a sigh of content.

His left hand slowly eased her away so he could take her in. Elena was startled, as always, by his tremendous blue eyes that gazed down at her like she was the most precious thing in the universe. He searched her eyes for her love and found it instantly, as Elena allowed herself to drown in those illuminous pools.

She closed her eyes and smiled as she felt his left hand cup her face in the way that she loved. His touch so feather-light, causing warm tingles to flourish on her olive skin. His fingertips grazed her brow and she opened her eyes, palming her hand on top of his that caressed her.

She slowly returned the favour, her shivering fingers ghosting over the angry welts of his right temple. Her thumb gently brushed over the healing wound before she raised to her tip-toes and kissed his brow as softly as she could.

"I'm so sorry, Elena" he said, voice raspy and low.

Elena frowned.

"What on earth are you sorry for?" she said, leaning closer.

"For everything. The whole Isobel thing, it wasn't-"

"Sshhh" she hushed, bringing her lips to his in a chaste kiss that elicited a small gasp from him. Something she had never quite achieved before. "You don't have to explain anything."

"No I do. I want you to know that she means nothing, absolutely _nothing _to-"

Elena kissed him again, needing him to forget that any of that mattered. What mattered right now was the two of them, and what little time they had together.

"You're freezing," Damon suddenly stated, taking in her shuddering form.

"I'm okay," Elena shivered, but still huddling close to his tall body as they slowly walked further into his warm apartment.

"You will be once you've had a long, hot soak in the bath" Damon said in a voice that made her senses tingle with warmth. Elena looked up to find him smirking, then the smirking was quickly joined by the eye-thing. She smiled up at him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I've missed that look," she whispered.

"Mmm," oozed Damon, placing a kiss on the tip of her nose. Elena felt her body zing to life instantly at the touch of his soft lips. "I'll run that bath. You get to work on those clothes" he said, still smirking as he wandered through his apartment towards the bathroom.

"Sounds good to me," smiled Elena, unable to rid herself of it now she was here with him... it was still surreal!

Checking he had the blinds and curtains closed, Elena happily began to strip the sodden clothing away from her body. As always, feeling completely comfortable in her own skin with Damon. As she pulled away the thin camisole that was now see through, between her straggles of damp, dark hair she saw a group of large cracks in the wall. She frowned deeply, wondering how on earth...

"S'how I got this," came Damon's voice. Elena jumped, looking over to find him with his right arm raised in the air.

Now topless and only clad in her soaking, skin tight jeans, Elena wandered over to inspect his damaged hand. She gently rolled up the sleeve of his hoody jacket to take his arm into her hands. It wasn't quite in what you'd call a cast, but it was certainly strapped up in place to a point where it looked impossible to even twitch a single finger. They were bruised and swollen, the sight making Elena feel a little queasy. But still, she brought her head down to gently kiss each knuckle, his skin hot and throbbing between her lips.

"I wish I could be here every day to take care of you," she said, looking up to his face through heavy-lidded eyes, noticing he had been watching her intently. A tiny sliver of lust pulsed between her legs.

"I'm through the worst" he said with a half-smile, "now c'mon, your bath awaits..."

With his left hand he took hers and lead her through the apartment towards his bathroom that was clouded with steam. The sensation instantly felt calming to Elena's tense body. But as she watched her lover twist the faucet and checked the water temperature for her with the one hand, she realized that _she_ wasn't the one who needed to relax.

"Take off your clothes," she ordered, smirking at the surprise on his face that quickly turned to lust.

"Are you _that_ desperate for me, Miss Gilbert?" he teased, stalking over to her half naked body. She gasped at the sudden closeness, at the steely gaze in his eyes, but she kept her foot firmly on the ground.

"It's not me who needs looking after, Damon" she said softly, wanting him to know she was serious.

Without taking his eyes from hers, he brought his left hand to the zip of his jacket.

"Just to warn you... it ain't pretty" he said, before sliding the zip all the way down as such a teasing pace, Elena almost felt herself sigh with need.

She brought her hands to his broad shoulders, he still continued to watch her as she gently pulled the fabric from his body.

Bruises were splayed across his ribcage. The far side of his right torso was the worst; the colours blotching into green, purple and black. Her heart ached for him as he shrugged the jacket off completely, revealing his body fully to her. He was a mess.

"Oh Damon" she shook, smoothing her fingers over the discoloured skin, only to watch him close his eyes tightly at the pain it caused. "Who did this to you?" she demanded.

"I don't know his name. Got into a fight in a bar, it's no big deal.."

"No big deal? Damon this has all happened because of-"

"Don't" he stammered, stopping her right there. "Don't you even _think _about blaming yourself, Elena. What's happened, has happened" he said, unzipping his jeans as he spoke with heavy eyes.

Elena nodded and allowed the conversation to be dropped there. She quickly but carefully helped him out of his jeans, something he'd clearly been struggling to do on his own. She wanted to ask if Isobel helped, but the image was too painful to imagine for long. This should be her job each and every night.

"Have you been taking showers?" she asked.

"Yeah. Tried getting into this thing on my own a few days ago. Almost cracked a few other ribs in the process," he smirked.

Elena smiled, but quickly got down to business. With five minutes of protesting, Damon finally gave in to Elena's wishes and supported some of his body weight onto Elena's as she demanded, in order for him to stand in the large, oval tub without causing harm. With his right arm firmly around her dainty shoulders, Elena struggled but never complained as she helped Damon slide lower and lower into the water. He hummed through the pain that it caused, but once Elena watched him submerge completely into the steaming water and lolled his head back against the edge with a satisfied sigh, she saw it was all worth it and proceed to rid herself from the rest of her clothing.

"I wouldn't expect any crazy, wild bathtub sex Miss Gilbert. As much as i'd really, _really_ want too..."

"Don't worry. I won't be selfish enough to ask for it with the state you're in" she laughed, watching his eyes drink in her naked body as she stepped into the tub. She loved the way he stared at her. She always felt beautiful. She felt perfect. He made her feel the best about herself.

"Well perhaps if I suck it up, I may still be able to ravage you.." he said, his voice oozing sex. Elena remained stood up before him, shaking her head.

"Not a chance Salvatore, now scooch."

"Wait what?"

"I'm gonna sit behind you so you can relax against me" she said, nudging his leg with her foot to urge him aside.

"Whoa I don't think so. That's the man's job."

"Ugh, don't be such a grump!" she teased, splashing him with a little water.

"Hey don't forget how our last water fight ended. I clearly remember whipping your ass on that occasion," he said with a cocky arch of his eyebrows. Elena placed her hands on her naked hips, waiting for him to give in. "Oh fine..."

With a smug little scrunch of her nose, Elena slipped behind him and wriggled back against the heated porcelain. The excitement trickled through to her core as she felt his strong, lean body gradually blanket over her stomach, pressing against her full breasts. The contact was amazing, the moment sexual until he said...

"I feel like such a girl."

Elena slapped him playfully on the shoulder.

"Ow! Okay, i'll shut up."

"_Finally_" replied Elena with a cheeky grin.

As payback, Damon pinched her thigh, making her squeal and giggle ridiculously. Once their little tiff was over, Elena felt her heart bloom with affection as he fully rested against her, leaning his head against her collar bone so she could rest her chin on his dark, damp hair.

"I'm not hurting you am I?" he asked in a low voice. In _the _low voice that got her stomach knotted with desire.

"Not at all" she whispered, cupping warm water into her hands and trickling droplets down his right arm that remained away from the water so his strapped hand didn't get wet. She repeated the process several times, feeling his arm relax along the bath tub edge.

Then she reached for the black, fluffy washcloth that was draped over the side. She soaked it thoroughly and with careful movements, dunked her hands deep into the water until they circled around Damon's torso, where she began to massage his ribs with the gentlest of touches. She hoped her movements were soothing for his wounded bones.

"Does that hurt?" she asked as soon as she felt his body tense.

"No it feels good," he said, allowing his body to rest again, "it feels really good."

Elena smiled and continued to wash affection over his battered body, hoping that with each stroke and rub, that the last few days of suffering were melting away. She seemed to lavish this affection on Damon until he was dozing to sleep in her arms. She twisted her head a little to try and see his face.

His head was turned inwards, his left temple resting in the curve of her neck. Elena teased her fingers through the tangles of obsidian hair that she had sleeked back from his perfectly angular face. His skin appeared poreless, cream-white and clear of any imperfections. His cheeks were flushed with a slight rosy tint from the heat, his lips plump and parted, eyes closed in a peaceful slumber against her body.

Elena had never seen a man look so beautiful.

"I love you, Damon" she whispered, feeling a tear escape. She didn't even know why, but she allowed it to roll down her cheek.

She assumed he was fast asleep, too at peace to even muster a response. She placed a kiss on his soft hair, earning a mumble of affection.

"I love you too" he groaned, almost breathlessly, clearly at peace in that bath tub with her.

Elena wanted to talk about everything that had happened to them. How he felt about their situation now it was almost out there, how he was coping with Isobel trapping him into her bizarre relationship ploy. What did she get out it? Out of loving a man that didn't love her back? Elena noticed her hand gripping the washcloth, venting her frustration through the material that roped between her fingers. She wanted to ask about the police, about her Uncle John, about Alaric. There was so much to be talked about but they had so little time on their hands to do so. Even tonight was just by chance.

But looking down at Damon's sleeping form, she remembered she was here for this night and this night only. She wasn't going to waste it on talking about those who wanted them apart.

A splash of water caught her attention, then she noticed Damon had grabbed her left hand with his. Tight.

"Damon what are you-?"

Without saying a word, or even opening his eyes, he slowly placed her palm flat on his abdomen, sliding her tiny hand along the taut lines that lead to his...

Wow - he was _rock_ hard.

Elena felt her stomach send a pulse of heat surging to her sensitive nub as Damon guided her hand, wrapping her fingers around his length, easing her clenched fist up and down with long, pressured strokes.

She couldn't tear her eyes away from their hands that worked as a team. The sight was incredibly erotic and a display that made her all kinds of turned on. She wondered if he could feel her nipples harden against his back, or whether he could hear her breathing quicken. When he finally released her hand, she continued stroke him, pumping her hand a little quicker with added friction, causing a soft moan to escape his lips.

His left hand reached backwards to grab a fistful of her hair, the slight pulling making her gasp with pain but mostly pleasure.

This was just teasing, even for her.

"Move forward," she asked, soft but firm.

He complied silently, moving forward just enough so Elena was free to slip out of the consuming heat of the water and into the steamy air of the bathroom. As she curled her hair behind her ears, she saw Damon watching her wantonly, relaxing back into the tub, his hand finding his cock and resuming where she left off. It switched her on like nothing else and she swore her legs almost buckled.

"You better be getting back in here," he growled, his eyes darkening with lust, a sinful smirk setting on his face.

Elena was soon back in the tub, rippling through the water, straddling his thighs and bracing her hands on the edge of the tub behind his neck. It would be so easy to loose herself, to thrust hard against his body and pull him to her, but it was a priority to remember that he was hurt, and that she would be leading the way entirely.

His left hand plunged out of the water to hold her by the small of her back. His fingers splaying over her curves, pulling her towards him just that little bit closer.

"I'm scared i'll hurt you, Damon" she whispered, her hot, shaking breaths blowing against the loose waves of her hair.

"You won't" he promised, dragging her through the water, along his strong thighs and hips until she felt the head of his cock nudge her clit.

She couldn't hold back the gasp that escaped. It was already like she'd reached heaven, yet they'd barely even begun. With a confident hand, Elena kneeled upwards and groaned as she guided Damon perfectly into her waiting sheath.

Through her fluttering eyes, she saw Damon between her thick lashes, craning his neck backwards as incoherent words hummed between his lips. His hand on her back was already urging her to bob up and down on his length. She complied slowly, not wanting to get too carried away incase they over-worked his body, causing pain to his chest and ribs.

Although the wild, crazy, unbridled sex was out of the question, Elena made sure that when she rolled her hips, that she rolled hard. She didn't know whether it was because of the warm water between them, but the weightless feeling of sliding back and forth on his cock was incredible. And she was moaning, over and over again, loosing herself in their slow, lingering movements.

Every time she managed to open her eyes Damon was watching, in awe, as she claimed his body over and over again. Suddenly he dragged her upper body forward. Elena panicked for a split second until she felt his tongue roll softly over a budded nipple. It was almost like a squeak escaping her mouth, followed by high-pitched gasps as he proceeded to flicker his tongue back and forth agonizingly fast. Also making sure to roll the wet, slick pad of his thumb over her other nipple while she continued to brush back and forth rapidly along his thick length.

"Damon! Ohh _fuck, _Damon!"

Water began sloshing between their hips and Elena was lost. She could tell she was just shy of tipping over the edge, until Damon surprised her with his left hand and quickly began to circle her pulsing clit with a feather light touch of his fingers. Her breaths hitched in her throat, body convulsed, she could feel herself clenching and unclenching around him.

"I'm gonna come, 'Lena" he warned, but still tapping her clit relentlessly.

"It's okay" she rushed, somewhere in her subconscious remembering that she didn't tell him she was now on the pill. She told her Aunt Jenna and the doctor that she needed to be on it ease the pain she had when Aunty Flo came to visit every month. It worked surprisingly well and... "Oh!"

Out of no where Damon began to meet her thrusts, arching his hips upwards in hard jolts that brushed that magical spot deep inside her. Causing the water to spill over the sides and for her moaning to become louder.

Elena gripped her finger tips hard on each side of the tub, riding out the most intense orgasm she had experienced in her young life. She felt Damon spill deep inside her, which she felt made her orgasm that little more intense and special.

And then she couldn't help it but fall limp into his arms, making him wince in pain amid his post-orgasm relaxation

"I'm-sorry" she mumbled, trying to push herself from his body. She heard him chuckle and felt his left hand stroke over the curve of her behind.

"It's okay, I forgive you" he mumbled.

Elena smiled as she heard his deep voice rumble through his chest, placing her hand on his heart beat that once drummed hard and fast, but was slowing down to a soft rhythm.

She allowed herself to rest for another moment, but then moved away, worried she would be applying too much pressure on him. He had the most cheeky yet adorable grin on his face. Looking like the cat who'd got the cream as he hummed with content.

"I think I could be ready for round two," he said with a perfect arch of an eyebrow.

Elena laughed to herself.

"You can really be unbelievable at times, y'know that?"

"Yeah" he shrugged, "but it's why you love me so much."

"keep up the attitude and i'll leave you in here all night," she warned, but beaming down at him when she remembered they still had the rest of the night together. She didn't have to sneak away, didn't have to worry about being caught. They could be the normal, everyday couple they wanted to be and what they envied everyone else for having.

Tonight was going to be nothing short of perfect. And it was certainly going to a good start...

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><p><em>So there you go with part one of there evening together :-) did you all like it?<em>

_I'll be back in two weeks with a new chapter. No doubt while I'm away, i'll be thinking of some wicked ideas that they could be getting up too!_

_Thank you for reading and I look forward to coming back and producing some juicy, DE moments for you all!_

_Anna x_


	25. Chapter 25

_I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sososososososoooooooo sorrrrrrrryyy!_

_I know, I know, I've been MIA lately and deserve to be lynched. I came back from holiday about 2 weeks ago and through post-holiday depression and a terrible case of writers block, Love Lessons took a back seat for a little while. But ta da! I returned with Chapter 25 for all you amazing Delena/TVD fans out there._

_Thank you as always for your reviews. They make me so giddy, haha! It was lovely to come back to see so many comments, I'm really pleased you enjoyed it. And because I've been such a twerp for delaying this chapter, you get rewarded with plenty of DE ;-) enjoy!_

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><p><strong>Damon's POV<strong>

Damon stirred uncomfortably in his slumber. After what was meant to be a relaxing soak in the bathtub, it quickly turned into a wet n' wild sexual encounter with Elena - and boy was he paying the price. His body thrummed with pain. Like each of his damaged ribs had it's own heart beat, pulsing and throbbing after over-using his body. His medication was barely touching the sides. No pun intended.

'Urrgh" he groaned, flopping his head to the side to find himself nuzzling the curve of Elena's stomach. She was propped up against the head board of his bed, watching the TV on the lowest volume, the blue light of the screen illuminating the room. Damon felt awful for being such terrible company for her but she understood. In fact he thought she was quite enjoying playing nurse.

A soft brushing of fingertips through his hair almost had him purring like a lion basking in the sun. She had no idea how good it always felt for him. It was like an instant pain-relief and it made him inch closer and closer to a somewhat comfortable sleep.

Then the sharp shrill of his cell phone made them both jump between the sheets.

"Ssssshit!" Damon hissed, feeling a hot sticky sweat ripple over his skin.

With his left hand he rubbed his eyes sleepily and squinted to see Elena staring at the phone screen with a cold look.

"It's Isobel," she said in a dark tone, the piercing _ring-ringing_ still screaming to be answered.

Damon gritted his teeth and took the phone from Elena.

"Don't make a sound, okay?" he said. She nodded slowly, looking at the TV screen that made her face glow beautifully in the dark. Damon pressed a quick kiss on her stomach, making her quiver at the sensation.

Damon accepted the call and put the device to his ear.

"Isobel?" he said, doubly making his voice sound groggy as if he'd just woke up from a deep slumber. Maybe it would make her hang up quicker. Maybe.

"Hey baby. I was just calling to let you know i've arrived safely" she said

_Shame _Damon thought.

"Oh good... is your dad with you?" he asked, feeling the need to make a little conversation with her. He did genuinely feel sorry that she'd lost her mother. He wouldn't wish that on anyone. But did he care about her feelings in general? No. Not a chance.

"Not right now. He's in a bad way, Damon. I wish you were here with me..."

Damon looked up to Elena, knowing she could hear every word that passed between them.

"I know you do," Damon replied, wanting to end the call. It was bothering him. It was bothering Elena. The woman was a pest and she couldn't even give things a fucking rest even when her mother had died. She just _had _to have her claws wedged right in there.

"Do you wish you could be here?" she said meekly, like a sad little school girl who needed a cuddle. Damon forced a smile on his face,

"Of course I do."

"...You don't sound like it, Damon."

"Iz i've _just _woken up. I'm sorry, I'm not all there at the moment."

"I've just lost my mother Damon!" she sobbed, sounding like she was falling apart on the other end of the phone. "You could at least make some fucking effort!"

"I'm on enough medication to knock the shit out of an elephant Isobel! Give me a goddamn chance!"

"I know, I know that, I'm sorry, I just wish..." she broke down completely, sobbing and spluttering down the phone, saying things Damon couldn't quite make out. He could feel Elena's body seize up next to him, feeling uncomfortable with the phone conversation unfolding next to her._ "... _it's hard doing this alone when I wish I could have brought you with me. You'd make it all better..." she weeped, confiding in him as though they'd been in a long-haul relationship. It was disturbing almost...

"I know, and I'm sorry I can't be, but it's your family you need right now" Damon said, trying to put some empathy into his voice.

"That's true. But Damon I feel like... like you're my family now. I... I love you, Damon... I _really_ do."

Damon felt his body run cold at her words, and almost called after Elena as she slipped out of the sheets to walk swiftly out of the room into the den. He went to throw the linen from his body, forgetting about his ribs and his right hand. A searing pain engulfed him so badly he couldn't even cry out because of the pain.

"Damon? Honey are you there?"

"Uh huh... I just... _shit_" he gasped, struggling to form words.

"Your ribs?"

"Yeah... I'm gonna hafta go, Iz" he heaved, cradling his right arm to his chest. "I'll call in the morning."

"Okay baby."

"G'night Isobel."

"You won't forget to call will you?"

"No, I won't"

"Promise?"

"I promise. Now goodnight."

"Well I'll be waiting for it. You know i'll be-"

Damon hung up and allowed himself a good five minutes to let his body settle before making a move to find Elena.

For a moment as he shuffled through to the lounge, he panicked in thinking that she'd left. It was dark and silent. He momentarily began to feel extremely pissed off if she'd walked out because of Isobel calling. She knew the situation he was in and unless he wanted a 2 year prison sentence to look forward to, she would _have _to accept it. But suddenly the clinking of a spoon stirring in a cup settled his anger.

Damon watched silently from the corner as Elena floated around his kitchen. The light of the open fridge glowed against her dark hair and smooth skin as she made herself a large mug of hot chocolate. Damon could smell it from here and it made him a little queasy. His medication played havoc with his appetite and he felt a little drowsy standing on the same spot for so long.

He wordlessly walked towards her, she locked her gaze onto him as he stood opposite her, watching her with his dark, glazed eyes as she turned to put the milk back in the fridge.

"I'm sorry I stormed out just then," she said without looking. Her tiny hand gripping the door of the refrigerator long after she had closed it.

Damon waited for her to turn around and when she did, her hair fanning around her naked shoulders, he saw tears prickling in her eyes.

"It just hurts to hear her say that to you... those three words..."

Damon breezed around the counter towards her and she carefully wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face against his chest. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and rocked her from side to side as best as he could.

"It's the first time she's said that. Took me by surprise too" he explained.

"And she'll keep on saying it. And you'll eventually have to say it back. I know it won't mean anything, but... but the thought still makes me feel sick to my stomach."

Damon drew her back so he could look into her eyes. He could just make out her face in the darkness and he stroked away the strands of hair that skewed across her sorrowful face.

"If I thought I could get away without saying it I would. No question about that. But you've seen how far the bitch is willing to go to make this work for herself. I'm incredibly lucky to be here in my home right now."

"Oh God don't say that Damon," she breathed, moving back to hug him, sliding her hands deep into his hair, "I was so scared for you. I thought it was over. I thought she'd won."

"She very nearly did," he said, pushing out the horrendous flashbacks of his interrogation earlier that week. How he nearly slipped up, barely getting by his questioning by the skin of his teeth, close to drifting away from the story that he and Isobel complied together. "But we're okay..." he said, swallowing the thick lump in his throat, not entirely convinced with his words, "we're okay...you hear me?"

He felt her nod beneath him, her hold never breaking from its tight grip around him.

"Ugh I wanted to avoid talking about any of this" she groaned, moving away again where Damon found her with the cutest pout on her face. He began to smirk as she looked up and she slowly melted into a smile herself. "Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Your little smirking act when I'm trying to be serious... and now you're doing the eye-thing!"

Damon playfully arched his eyebrows, knowing he would be rewarded with a giggle and he got it. But he noticed as she looked back down between their bodies that there was still a world of worry on her shoulders. He curled a finger around one of her thick locks of hair that flowed in soft waves. Those bold and beautiful eyes stared back up and behind their watery depths he could see she still had plenty she wanted to talk about. Lord knows he didn't want to waste time talking about the various ways the shit had hit the fan in the last couple of weeks but it was clearly needed. For both of them.

"Say whatever is on your mind, Elena."

She automatically shook her head, smiling weakly.

"It's okay, it doesn't matter."

"It matters to me," said Damon sternly, hating to see her look so fragile. Was this the state she had been in constantly for the last week or so? She looked incredibly meek and vulnerable. "And I hate to say, honey, but the likelihood that we'll get to talk about this any time soon is very, _very_ slim. So whatever you've got to say... hit me with it..."

"Have you slept with her?"

Whoa... that almost knocked the wind out of him. He'd expected it, but to actually hear it was awful and made him feel like he'd been kicked in the gut. He untwined his finger from around her hair to cup and caress her cheek. Elena looked away, as if in acceptance of a negative answer, even though he hadn't replied yet.

"No - I haven't slept with her."

She darted her eyes upwards in disbelief.

"You... you haven't?"

Damon shook his head, a tiny smile twitching at the corner of his lips.

"I'm not to over-exert myself. Doctors orders."

"But... but we..."

"I could've shattered my entire ribcage Elena and I _still _would have made love to you tonight. To hell with Doctors orders on that one," he smirked, enjoying the look of relief wash over her face. Thankfully the question of what would happen when Isobel _was_ satisfied he was healed to make love to her never surfaced. Damon knew he couldn't give Elena the answer she would want for that one. Like most of his thoughts, he pushed them to the back of his mind. "What else is niggling in that head of yours, hm?" he asked.

"Your safety. When I saw you with the cops the other day I... I was scared you were being sent away."

"They didn't have enough evidence against me. Nothing in fact, say for the crumpled notes found in kids' lockers. I'm just going to be the talk of the school for a long time when I get back."

"You're coming back! ?" she gasped, totally taken by surprise, "I thought you'd gone for good!"

Damon shook his head, "disciplinary. I'll be back just before Christmas break. Another three weeks, a little less."

He saw the smile on her face quickly drift away. Her emotions were all over the place. "I won't be in your class though will I?" she said sadly. Damon watched her hands slide down his bare chest, enjoying the sensation of her warm palms on his cool skin.

"Whose class have you been placed in?"

_Don't say Isobel.** Please** don't say Isobel..._

"I'll be in Mr Saltzman's as of Monday."

Damon breathed a massive sign of relief, resting his forehead gently on hers.

"Is that a good thing?" she asked, inching her head upwards so her nose touched the tip of Damon's. He instinctively bowed his head lower to capture her parted lips in a brief, gentle kiss.

"Very."

"But he saw us. He was so close to telling everyone. What if he-"

"He won't Elena. Trust me."

"But how can you be sure?" she pushed, clearly untrusting of Alaric and Damon couldn't blame her. She knew him as the English teacher in classroom E2. Nothing more.

"You have no idea how much that guy has helped me this last week. I'd be in a far worse state than I am now if Alaric hadn't have helped me. He knows what Isobel's up to. He'll watch out for you... as horribly corny as that sounds, he will."

Elena giggled and Damon felt his stomach dance at the sound. "I'm glad. I was worried he'd give me a hard time about it. Or I was scared incase in he was in on the whole thing with Isobel."

"The guy despises that woman as much as I do. We're lucky to have him on our side. Along with your friend."

"Bonnie," said Elena, grinning from ear to ear, "I can't believe she went to this effort for me. For us. I thought she'd be horrified at us together but she really isn't. I'm so lucky to have her right now."

Damon listened intently while she spoke, allowing her to release everything that had been wound tightly inside her. The stress was falling away before his eyes. Her stance, her glow, her whole being seemed to light up a little again.

"Have you told your other friend? Caroline?"

"Nu uh. She's one for gossip. I could never trust her with this. Bonnie she's... she's all I have."

Damon felt a sudden tremor of doubt creep over his skin at the next question, that for some reason, shock-waved to the forefront of his mind like a bullet to the brain. "What about Stefan?"

Her eyes darkened.

_Shit._

"He... he almost caught me out."

"Whatdoyoumean?" Damon rushed, moving back to see her face properly. He needed the truth on this. And he needed it now.

"It was at a party. Everyone was talking about the two of us, the rumours had just begun and he thought they were true. Nothing I said could convince him..."

"And he's still unconvinced?"

"I... I don't know."

Damon clenched his jaw. And fist.

"You don't know?"

"He gave me a ride home and when I asked if he believed me, that me and you were a ridiculous lie he didn't say anything. He just drove off. When he saw me at school Monday he was full of apologies, saying he was a dick for believing all the gossip. I fired him off, but... but whether he was just saying that to get in my good graces I don't know. If i'm being totally honest..."

Damon waited a few moments until his heart rate slowed down. This felt completely different from Alaric knowing, even Isobel. It was the fact that Stefan was out of _his_ control. He couldn't reason with him, only Elena could do that and it sounded like her efforts had been thwarted. His heart began to beat so heavily again that his ribs started to ache.

"I need to lie down," he said, turning out of Elena's hold and walking back towards his room in the darkness.

No sooner had he made it beside his large bed, Elena was right by his side, ready to ease him in between the sheets.

"Elena I'm fine," he said, but he held his tongue as she ignored his requests and pulled back the sheets so he was free to slide in without a struggle. He knew he was playing the stubborn man role the entire time. But secretly, he was appreciating every little bit of help Elena doted on him. And then he realized he was bordering on dickhead behaviour. "I'm sorry for acting like such a jerk."

"Don't worry about it," she said. He could tell she was smiling contently.

"I just hope the kid keeps his mouth shut," he huffed, struggling to speak properly as he reclined back against his mattress without hurting himself. His attempts failed.

"Well he hasn't said anything. And surely if he was going too, he would have mouthed -off days ago when it all kicked off." Elena explained, plumping up Damon's pillows so they were thick and full beneath his weary head.

"Do you have any idea how amazing you are?" he found himself saying, watching her pause in her actions above him, her body leaning over his.

"You're the amazing one," she said quietly, almost barely above a whisper.

Damon felt his eyes flutter as she leaned down and kissed him, her hair falling down onto his cheeks, sheilding them in a veil of rich, brunette colour. Reaching across with his left hand he coaxed her onto the bed to his side, deepening the kiss until he was lost; consumed in a world of Elena. No one had ever had the capability to make him come so undone. Katherine was close, she knew how to push his buttons and he couldn't get enough of her. But Elena was so much more; her innocence and beauty astounded him and whenever he was without her he needed her. Plain and simple. He couldn't live with her, and he was more than afraid that that may soon become a reality...

Overwhelmed with love and need for the incredible girl curling next to him, Damon swooped to lean over her tiny body. The _pain _that followed...

"Fuck!" he hissed, growling through tightly clenched teeth that made his jaws ache with the pressure. He felt Elena's tiny hands press on his pectoral muscles, urging him to lay back on the bed so that he was flat on his back.

"Are you okay? Damon? Do you need anything?" he heard, seeing Elena panic through his squinted eyes.

As the hot, knifing pains slowly ebbed away Damon felt his breathing steady. It was so easy for him to forget how injured he was. A cast on a broken arm is visable, so is a leg. But it somehow slipped his mind that the slightest movement could upset his battered bones. It was driving him up the fucking wall and he felt weak and pathetic. Oh he could hear his father's voice now...

"Damon?"

"I'm okay 'Lena." he said, opening his eyes to see her sat above him, smoothing a hand through his jet black hair. The tender contact almost lulling him to sleep like an anesthetic.

"Are you sure? Do you need anything?"

"Yeah - I need you to kiss me..."

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><p><strong>ELENA'S POV<strong>

"_I need you to kiss me..."_

Elena felt her entire body shudder.

"Now that I can definitely arrange for you," she whispered, pressing her moist lips against his, feeling him hum at the contact, the deep sound of it in his throat making her stomach quiver.

It quickly turned from innocent to full on passion. It amazed Elena how kissing with tongues used to freak her out. Stefan was like a washing machine on overdrive! But Damon knew exactly what he was doing. Soft, lustful moans escaped from her as he slowly drove his tongue into her mouth to meet with hers. She was unable to think clearly with how hazy his actions made her. All thought had completely gone out of the window. She could only _feel._

"Anything else?" she asked breathlessly against his plump lips. His eyes in the darkness were a fierce blue. They were so intense, drawing her in under their hypnosis. She was at his command.

"I want you to straddle me" he said, his voice low, sexy and deliciously sinful to her ears.

Elena raised her right leg to settle it over the other side of his body. Her muscles felt a little tense after their fun in the bath earlier that evening, but she wasn't complaining. It wasn't like Damon could toss her over and take control with the state he was in. He was lucky enough to be able to walk without aid. She watched his left hand glide up and down the supple skin of her thigh, while the right remained limp by his side, unable to join in the fun.

Damon slowly arched his hips upwards and Elena found herself rolling her head backwards, humming at the feel of his erection teasing against the delicate fabric of her underwear. In the faint light she could see him staring at her hungrily, his eyes blazing with lust, hair disheveled around his handsomely chiseled face, shadowing the bruises at his temple - he looked incredible.

"Anything else you need me to do?" Elena asked, not waiting for an answer as she trailed her fingers down to his thick girth that protruded from his boxers.

His left hand reached out to stop her, a complete contrast from his actions to their session in the bathtub earlier. She looked to him for guidance.

"Take these off," he drawled, tugging at her lacy underwear. As gracefully as she could, Elena leaned upwards to slide each leg out, making sure not to knock his body. She settled back along the length of his manhood that was still restrained in his black boxers. Elena had figured out a while ago that she was an impatient one when ti came to the bedroom, and just wanted to get him naked. Her fingers itched to pull back the fabric that kept her from her prize, but as she moved forward he stopped her again.

"What would you like me to do now?" she whispered, a tad confused, but extremely excited.

His hand slipped to gently squeeze her thigh, then proceeded to pull her upwards until she was gliding over his stomach.

"Damon," she gasped, watching as he guided her over his black and blue ribs, wondering what on earth he was wanting to...

A hot flush peppered Elena's cheeks as she saw her most intimate area hovering just below his chin, knowing what he was about to do.

"I want you to _feel _Elena," he drawled, looking directly above into her eyes with heavy lust and love.

"But I... I mean I've never..." she suddenly felt very embarrassed. Not because she was in such an erotic position with Damon, or of what he might think of her, but what if she lost control? From the tell tale thrum of pleasure buzzing through her stomach and the wetness between her legs, she knew she was going to enjoy this a hell of a lot and was scared she would hurt him.

She gasped with uncertainly as Damon inched her closer to place a soft kiss on her inner thigh, his tongue swirling deliciously over her heated skin, repeating the tender process as he moved closer to his goal. She was still blushing and she mentally kicked herself for being silly enough to close her eyes and look away.

Then she felt one, tentative lick of his tongue on her clit.

_Heaven._

Her eyes darted open as his left hand pulled her down onto his eager mouth. Elena couldn't control the groans and sighs that rolled from her lips as she felt Damon's tongue work its magic. Her entire body felt like it was being massaged with pleasure, becoming stronger and unbearably addictive as he treated her sensitive nub to the rhythmic taps of his slick, wet tongue. Elena found her shivering arms searching for the headboard, gripping onto it for dear life as she allowed herself to feel as Damon instructed.

"Mmh! Damon-ohthisfeelsso-oh!"

She was going to burst. As soon as he added one finger, and then another, she knew she was going to simply _burst_. But she found herself gently thrusting against his waiting mouth, and from the distant sound of his breathless groans between her legs he was absolutely loving it.

When colours began to sparkle behind her closed eyes, Elena opened them to find herself staring upwards at the blank ceiling. As her eyes ghosted down the length of her body to find it glossy with a sheen of sweat, she found herself staring down at Damon, and the most erotic sight she'd probably ever see in her life.

When his heavy-lidded eyes spotted her staring, he sucked gently on her clit one last time before flashing her his trademark smirk, paired with a hum of satisfaction.

"I need you to do one more thing, Elena" he drawled, momentarily resting his head on the pillow. Elena struggled to regulate her breathing, resorting to panting, desperately wanting him to continue. She'd never felt so close...

"Anything."

Smirk still in place on his glistening lips, Elena tightened her hold on the headboard, her fingers sliding along the polished wood with her sweat. He leaned forward to her womanhood once more, his hot breath dancing over her sensitive flesh.

"I want you to _come_ for me."

Her stomach coiled with desire and a sharp gasp broke out from her tiny body as Damon doubled his efforts, tunneling his fingers inside her silky walls at such a rapid pace Elena could barely keep up. He teased her, _really _teased her as he treated her swollen nub to the occassional flick of the tongue, never keeping it consistent, making her release linger that little bit longer.

"Oh God Damon, please" she begged, attempting to grind herself against his mouth, to which he would abruptly stop. "No, keep going! Don't stop!" she pleaded, suddenly feeling the all too familar tremble overcome her body, "I'm so..." she groaned, throwing her head back and freezing with overwhelming pleasure as Damon brought her to orgasm.

The feeling was blinding, her body consumed and devoured by his touch. A hot and cold sweat blanketed her skin as her pleasure floated into tingles, making her twitch and jump with sensitive delight as he drank her in.

"Damon..." she breathed, trying her best to make eye contact but far too weak to do so. All of her energy, what was left of it, was traveling straight to her hands as she continued to hold herself in place with the headboard.

Finally she managed to gazed down at him, her vision slightly blurred for some reason. Probably with how tight she was closing her eyes. He looked almost as wiped out as she did, his magnificent orbs a content blue, his lips that glistened with the remnants of her juices slowly curled into a satisfied smile as his left hand stroked the curve of her behind. She shuddered at the touch and slowly slipped her way down to lay on the crisp bed sheets with him, gazing up to his face.

"That was incredible," she whispered, kissing his shoulder, being careful not to upset his right hand that remained perfectly still.

"Good," he said as she nuzzled her head against the curve of his shoulder, feeling his dark hair mingle with hers. "I just wish I wasn't in such a mess. I'd have been able to make you moan ten times louder than that," he joked.

"You make each and every thing we do incredible, Damon. I couldn't ask for more than that," she said tiredly, completely spent and drifting away into a well deserved sleep.

But for whatever reason, the heart-breaking image of Isobel with Damon, right there, in his bed, naked and moaning with pleasure, flashed through her mind. Elena squirmed against the mattress, trying to rid herself of it - but it wasn't going away.

Her imagination cruelly played back some of her most intimate moments with Damon that she cherished and thought about whenever she had a minute, and which she would spend hours reminiscing about. Making love for the first time, their naughty excursions at the lake house, the excitement of getting caught in his classroom, their goodbye beside the waterfall. Her own image was replaced with Isobel. Like Elena had never existed. The mind could play such horrible tricks, and Elena tightened her grip around Damon's bicep.

"That hurts a little honey" he groaned, rousing from his sleep.

"Sorry!" Elena hissed, untangling her arms from around his own, "I'll be careful. I'll sleep over-"

"Just because we can't spoon doesn't mean you have to sleep on the edge of the bed," she heard him tease. His left hand beckoned her over to that side of the bed. With a bitter stinging in her eyes she crawled over and settled herself against his good side, ressuming her possessive hold. "Elena?"

"Hm?" she said, keeping her eyes closed as she made herself comfortable.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Jeez he could read her like a book.

"It's noth-"

"Don't gimme that" he warned, playfully poking her thigh with his left hand. "Tell me."

"It's just my silly teenage girl thoughts" she mumbled.

"Well if they're silly there's no harm in me knowing right?"

Elena toyed with the idea of telling him about her Isobel woes. It wasn't like he could do anything about it, so what was the point in moaning? But still, the thoughts plagued her, they still would after they'd talk about it, but perhaps it would become easier to block them out if she told him.

"I just hate imagining her being with you like this. Like we are now" she said, feeling her mouth become a little dry. "I hate the thought of her taking away what is mine."

Damon wrapped his left arm tighter around her and Elena struggled to keep the tears back as she felt him plant a soft kiss on her forehead.

"I don't want to lie and say that it won't happen, because it most likely will. If there was a loophole out of this I wouldn't give her a thread of satisfaction. But there isn't one. All it would take is for her to march into your Uncle's classroom, or directly into the police station with couple of photos in her hand and that would be it. I'd be in a cell by dinner time and who knows when i'd be out."

Elena knew he wasn't trying to scare her, or give her a lecture about their situation, but his words still had her crying in his arms.

"But I want you to know," he said, his voice deep and meaningful, his arm wrapping tighter around her tiny shoulders, "that I will hold it off for as long as I can. The silver lining about getting beaten to a pulp is that I have the perfect excuse, to avoid having sex with her" he said, a hint of amusement in his voice that had her giggling through her tears. "I just wish I had suggested the obvious thing for us to do a long time ago."

Elena sniffled and thumbed away the salty tears from her eyes.

"And what was that?""

She looked up to meet his gaze dead on. She knew what he was about to say to her.

"That we got the Hell out of Mystic Falls when we had the chance."

* * *

><p><em>So there you have it! We're finally on the road to the end! *sobs*<em>

_I know I've been terrible for not updating, but I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter and what you'd like from the next. I have the ending vaguely mapped out. It's not gonna be pretty... but who knows what will happen in the end right?_

_Anna x_


	26. Chapter 26

_Hey there everyone!_

_It's been a long time coming, but FINALLY I return with Chapter 26! It was a struggle to write, but I promise the next chapters will be MUCH better, considering I actually know where I want the ending to go. I'm sure you'll like it... maybe ;-)  
><em>

_I would also like to thank **Delena's Differential Equation - **for taking the time to let me know that Love Lessons has unfortunately fallen victim to plagiarism. Here is the website **.com/p/1232673473**, i'm not sure what I can do about it, but outing the person who was more than happy to take my work without permission is a better way than none to vent my anger about this!_

_Anyway I've kept you guys long enough - on with Chapter 26!_

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><p><strong>ELENA'S POV<strong>

Elena slowly stirred from her deep slumber. She instantly smiled as she found herself curled beside Damon in his bed, his left arm wrapping around her so she was cuddled against him, safe and warm - or to put it short, it was one of the best nights sleep Elena could ever have asked for.

As she propped herself up with her elbow, she wished she could have said the same for Damon. Dark shadows circled under his closed eyes, a clear indication that he hadn't slept well at all. She noticed his chest rising unevenly with laboured breathing, an occassional groan of pain escaping from his parted lips.

Tears stung at her eyes knowing that this was all Isobel's doing, because of her sick plan to keep Damon for herself, which drove him to drinking and destruction. But ultimately, Elena knew it was because of herself that he was in so much danger, at so much risk of losing everything - she felt so guilty and no matter how many times Damon would tell her not to be, she just couldn't help but feel that way.

She carefully placed a kiss on his cheek before sliding out of bed. He never once stirred as she draped one of his black t-shirts over her tiny body and quietly left the room to make him a well deserved breakfast in bed.

"Ooo-kay" she mumbled to herself, standing in the middle of Damon's spotless kitchen (say for the forgotten mug of hot chocolate from last night) to decide where to begin, "fruit!" she decided.

As she carefully sliced a large grapefruit into quarters, Elena sighed to herself with content. She felt so at home just wandering around Damon's apartment, lazily wearing one of his tee's while she helped herself to the kitchen. She could quite easily see them both snuggled on his couch, bowl of popcorn between them, watching bad TV. What could be more perfect than that?

Other than having sex in his bathtub of course...

Elena grinned at the memory as she twirled over to the fridge, piling all the ingredients she needed to make some hearty pancakes in her arms. She quietly rustled everything together, glancing at the microwave clock to see the green, digital numbers glow 09:52. A swell of unpleasantness settled in Elena's chest, remembering that Isobel would be making her promised call to Damon at some point. Elena was so close to ripping the phone from Damon's hand last night and telling the bitch on the receiving to get the Hell out of their lives. The woman had them cornered. She had hard evidence of Elena with Damon and who knows what little thing could send her over the edge? And this promise that she would allow Damon to walk free from her at the end of the school year? Elena knew that was all bullshit. And if she did, so did Damon.

So how do they get out of this without Isobel outing them to the world?

_You don't _echoed a voice in Elena's head.

The cold, icy feeling that followed sent Elena into overdrive with flipping her pancakes, needing to flip those thoughts right to the back of her mind where they belonged... for now.

She plated up the food, poured the coffee and held her breath as she carried everything over to Damon's room on a tray, making sure she didn't trip on her forgotten, sodden clothing from the night before. Another smile at another sexy little memory.

Inching the bedroom door open with her tray, she had succeed in her quest to make breakfast without waking him. He was still out like a light. He hadn't even moved since she'd left. His left arm still shaped like he had an invisible Elena cradled in his arms. Adorable. Just adorable.

The rich smell of buttery pancakes slowly dragged him out of his sleep, and as his weary blue eyes gained focus on her, Elena smiled,

"Good Morning sleepyhead"

"Mmm..." he smirked, still trying to focus properly, "now what is this I spy?"

"It's breakfast in bed for you,"

"I was actually referring to the fact you're wearing one of my best t-shirts to sexily parade around my apartment in, but oh yeah, breakfast!"

"Y'know if I didn't love you so much, I would've thrown this whole tray of food i've lovingly prepared for you right into that smug little face of yours," she said, trying not to grin as she leaned over to the bed to place the tray in his lap.

"Ooh, nice comeback" he said, a sleepy smile on his face as he _very _slowly propped himself up against his pillows. He did it with only a little discomfort Elena saw, an improvement, if only a small one. "C'mere you..."

Elena found her lips meeting Damon's as he gave her a soft 'thank you' kiss. Her body bloomed at the touch.

"Hope you like pancakes,"

"Who doesn't?" he answered, looking perplexed at the prospect of someone hating them. Elena giggled, watching him painstakingly cut his food with a fork in his left hand. Elena knew better than to offer to cut it for him. She knew he'd feel a little pathetic if she did.

No sooner as he was about to take his first bite his phone rang.

Elena jumped at the shrilling sound, a horrible hot and cold feeling wracking her muscles as the noise terrified her. You never knew what was going to be said when you answered a phone these days.

"You gotta be kidding me," Damon groaned, clattering his fork on his plate and reaching for his phone. He gave Elena a warning look, and she quietened her breathing, ready to listen and await whatever the outcome of this conversation would be.

He pressed to accept the call.

"Hello?"

"Good morning baby - how are you today?"

_Baby? Really! ? _Elena thought. Once again wanting to snatch the phone away and give Isobel a piece of her mind.

"Oh y'know the usual. Same shit, different day."

Elena had to bite back a giggle. Damon smirked at her, making her swoon despite the current situation.

"Aww still feeling _that_ bad? Are you taking your meds properly?"

"I am but the pain just keeps on rolling. Thought i'd be healing much quicker than this. How is... everything?"

"It's a little easier I suppose. Dad is a little more accepting of the fact she's gone and that we need to organize her... her funeral... it's..." she was beginning to sob like last night, and in a disturbing way, it sounded like it was being_ forced_ for reaction. "It's hard to cope Damon. I want you here..."

"I know and I'm sorry I can't be," he said, repeating the exact words as the night before. Enough to seem like he cared, but also enough not to. "I guess you'll be staying up there for a while? Comfort your father and such?"

"No I can't. I'll be coming home for the few days before the funeral and returning straight afterwards."

"How come? The school will give you all the time off you need," Damon said, urging her to stay away, _wanting _her to stay away. Elena found she had her fingers crossed in her lap.

"I don't care about school, Damon - it's _you _I want to come back for."

Elena looked away, closing her eyes. She soaked in those words like a sponge did with water, except she could'nt wring them out. They stayed there heavy, swelling in her chest.

"But Isobel... this is your widowed _father..."_

"We were never close. What different would it make if I were to stay now."

"Because you're all he has left? You're a part of your mother? You're his _daughter..."_

...

Silence...

...

Elena stared back at Damon, terrified at the sound of Isobel's shallow breathing on the receiving end of the call.

"Anyone would think you'd want me to stay away from you.." came her deep voice.

"No Isobel, anyone would think I was giving you good advice. Stay and console your father. I can wait."

"But the thing is you can't Damon. I know for a fact you're plotting to get that skinny little _bitch_ into your arms while I'm gone. I bet she's even there right now. Listening. Sat right next to you in your bed..."

Elena was physically shaking on the mattress, too scared to breathe, too scared to move. Damon looked incredibly unsettled, suddenly glancing around the room while holding the phone firm to his ear.

_Is she watching? _Elena suddenly thought.

A shudder creeped along her spine.

"I'm not plotting anything. I'm recovering in my bed. Now why don't you step back, take a look at how _heartless _you're in being in leaving your father, and leave me to wallow in self pity and high dosed meds."

"How dare yo-"

"Talk later Isobel."

And with that he hung up.

Elena released a heavy breath she didn't realize she was holding tight within her lungs.

Damon rubbed his eyes stressfully before staring down at his uneaten breakfast, looking like he'd completely lost his appetite.

"Do you think hanging up was such a good idea?" Elena whispered, her voice a little rasped.

"She'll be pissed. But hopefully some sense will get knocked into her brain that isn't already ravaged with insanity."

Elena paused before giggling, watching him break out into one of his delicious smiles that made her melt into a pool of warmth.

"Should we really feel so... relaxed right now?"

Damon resumed taking his first bite of pancake while nodding.

"Of course we should. That malicious little witch has had us under her thumb for way too long. I plan on forgetting about it for now, finishing my breakfast, then proceeding to ravage you until you're screaming my name - sound like a plan?"

"Definitely" replied Elena, quickly stripping herself of his t-shirt to reveal her naked body underneath.

She'd never seen anyone eat their breakfast so quickly in all her life.

* * *

><p><strong>DAMON'S POV<strong>

"Are you _sure_ you're not coming in?" Elena called from the bathroom. Damon looked up from the breakfast bar to find his girl wrapping a towel around her tanned body. Damn he wanted to join her in that tub and re-enact the night before all over again - but there was something that he needed to do.

"As much as I'd love to Miss Gilbert, my meds are calling my name. Make sure to come out here naked when you're done, okay?"

She playfully rolled her eyes before sneaking him a mischievous look. Damon waited until she disappeared into the bathroom, then proceeded to slap his required tablets into his mouth, washing them down his throat with a large gulp of water.

He slammed the glass down.

Now it's down to business.

Since his phone call just short of an hour ago with Isobel, Damon's worry that the woman could possibly have been watching them this entire time, tormented his thoughts.

"_I bet she's even there right now. Listening. Sat right next to you in your bed..."_

Panic bubbled underneath his cool exterior as he drifted towards his bedroom. With the one mobile hand, he quickly began to inspect the shelves on the wall. He shifted between the rows of books on one, moved cologne, picture frames, various gadgets to find anything like a camera on another. There was nothing. Turning around to face the TV, he looked closely for any device that had been meticulously placed near the speakers or the DVD player. Once again, he found nothing. Throwing open his curtains, a blast of sunshine blinded him momentarily as he looked to find something on the window ledge. Nothing.

There was nothing there.

Damon rubbed his brow, pinching the bridge of his nose as he felt the tell-tale signs of a headache, followed by a slight drowsy feeling from his medication. Isobel was slowly but surely making him lose his mind.

He couldn't go on living like this, knowing it would be this way until Isobel had had enough. And he'd be waiting for a very, very long time for that to happen.

_Riiiiiiiiiiing! _

_Riiiiiiiiiing!_

Damon simply closed his eyes at the sound of that fucking cell phone buzzing away on his bedside table. He knew it was her. Somehow the ring tone seemed to sound more demanding when it was her, even though it was the same for when anyone else called.

_Riiiiiiiiiiing!_

As quickly as his bruised body would allow, Damon leaned over and grabbed his phone.

"Don't you get bored of calling me, Isobel?"

"Damon do you _really _think that is the way you should be talking to me after what you did earlier? Hanging up on me? Not a clever move."

"Why? Is that enough for you to produce a photo album of me and Elena to the cops?"

"Close enough. You've already experienced what my power can do. It took for just a couple of scrawled out notes for the police to be all over you like a rash. Tip me closer to the edge and I will not hesitate to show those pictures of you both fucking like animals in the fields."

Damon clenched his jaw and squeezed the phone against his ear so hard that the plastic creaked from the force. "I'm done." he said, his voice low and hoarse.

"Done? Done with what exactly?"

"You" he said, nodding to himself in confirmation. "I'm done with you."

"Are you deliberately wanting me to-"

"Look just do whatever the fuck you want Isobel. I'd rather be holed up in aprison cell than have to do time in yours."

"Yeah, sure you would Damon. You'd rather be a little pet slave to your fat, dirty cell mates. Pretty boy like you would fit _riiiight_ in..."

"Well it'll be far more bearable than having to sleep with you, Isobel. Give my condolences to your father. I'll await a call from the cops."

And again, Damon hung up.

And then automatically wondered why the fuck he said any of that.

The bedroom door creaked behind him and there was Elena. She silently wandered over to the side of the bed, her dark hair splaying in soft, wet waves on her shoulders. Droplets of water pearling down her olive skin, her brow knitted together with worry as she slowly inched closer, hitching her towel more securely around her body - she looked so beautiful.

"That towel doesn't suit you," he joked, a smile appearing on his lips but it quickly faded away. He didn't mean for her to catch any of what he said to Isobel. But she probably would have heard it all clearly through the walls anyway.

"Damon why did you _do _that?" she said, her tone cutting through him.

"Because I can't take her shit anymore" he replied, looking away to stare down at his right hand. "I'd much rather have the police turn up at my doorstep over her."

Warm hands circled around his broad shoulders from behind. The feel of her warm, slightly damp body embracing him from behind was just too good to put into words. He turned his head to the right to meet her heart-shaped face staring back at him like she was about to fall to pieces with worry for him. Truth be told he couldn't blame her, but before he could think further he inched forward and kiss her lips, ghosting them with barely there touches that made her moan barely above a whisper.

"There's got to be something we can do," she whispered urgently, her breath hot against his skin. He opened his eyes to find hers closed tight, holding back tears, her forehead resting against the side of his.

"Any attempt of getting out this mess is a massive risk, Elena."

"I know" she nodded, "I know that."

"But..." he said, using his left hand to tilt her head upwards to look at him. Two trails of tears fell simultaneously from her glassy, brown eyes as she met his. "But I'm willing to take the risk if you are..." 

* * *

><p><em>So what do we all think? I hope you liked it. I promise to be back with Chapter 27 soon! And that's a pinky promise!<em>

_Anna x _


	27. Chapter 27

_I know, I know... I'm a terrible person!_

_But y'know when people say 'life gets in the way?'... well... it got in the way! From work to family, friends to boy drama, blah blah blah... it's all been very hectic! Not to mention I have been coming back and forth to this chapter and never coming away totally satisfied. But finally I think it's acceptable (and more than overdue!) to put out to you guys. I'm sorry I've left it so long and I'm sorry for breaking the pinkiest of all pinky promises! To make up for it i'll wash all your dishes/clothes for a month... or at least cook up a really smutty chapter next time, okay? :-P_

_And now, on with the story!_

* * *

><p><em>One week later...<em>

**ELENA'S POV**

Elena arrived at school an hour early on Monday morning. She quietly entered the English block, feeling the warmth of the indoors blanket over her skin that tingled with the bitter snap of winter. Through the darkened hallways she marched towards Mr Saltzman's classroom, her new place of study after Isobel had triggered the rumours about her relationship with Damon. It was _so _embarrassing to be sitting in a class full of kids who were two years younger than her. She felt like she'd been held back a year, but what could she do about it? She made sure to get on with her work and ignore the hushed giggles from the tweens surrounding her. Mr Saltzman thankfully shut them up whenever possible. It made her school life that little bit easier.

A few moments later, Elena stepped before classroom E3, subconsciously glancing towards E4 that belonged to Isobel. It was still dark and lifeless inside her room, which meant Elena could talk to Mr Saltzman with further ease.

She peeked through the window to find Mr Saltzman glancing over to her. He gestured for her to enter as he approached his desk at the front of the empty classroom.

"Good Morning Elena,"

"Morning Mr Saltzman" she said as she closed the door behind her.

"Please, under these circumstances I think it's safe to say you can call me Ric... or Alaric, which ever you prefer."

"Okay... _Ric_" she said, testing his name on her lips. It was weird. Like when she said Damon's name for the first time, except when she spoke Damon's name she felt her heart burst with lust.

"So," Alaric said, rubbing his hands together, ready to get down to business as he made his way over to his chair. Elena followed suit and sat at the desk directly in front of his, wondering where to begin with what they were about to discuss.

As Elena unwrapped her scarf from around her neck, she watched Alaric sigh and slump forward in his chair, grazing a hand over the stubble at his chin.

"You do know Damon's plan to get outta this mess with Isobel is a huge gamble, right?"

His words scared Elena, just she like knew they would. Her heart began to thunder away in her chest.

"I know. But it's all we have" she replied, keeping her voice low, incredibly paranoid that anyone could just wander through the door. It would look suspicious if they chose to lock it.

"But so far he doesn't _have _anything," Alaric said, confirming what she already knew.

"You don't need to remind me of that. We're more than aware that the clock is ticking."

"But what if he doesn't find anything? Has he given you a Plan B?"

"No," Elena said, feeling her voice shake, "he keeps saying that he will, that he'll find something."

Alaric laughed a little, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms, "he tells me the same. He keeps on saying it like he's so self-assured."

"You're right, but all I can do is hope. But if that hope goes to waste then I don't know what we'll do, Alaric. The wheels are in motion. It's confirmed in confidence with my Uncle and Mrs Lockwood that he's leaving Mystic Falls High. If we don't have that leverage over Isobel by the time she finds out he's leaving she'll tell anyone who'll listen about what we've been doing. She'll _destroy _him" Elena said, feeling her body shake with anger and fear.

"And if you don't have that leverage in time... take these..." Alaric pushed over a small white envelope that she hadn't noticed on his desk before. "...Just incase."

There was a bulge in the centre of it. Elena furrowed her brow as she took the small package, hearing a jingling sound inside.

As she ripped the paper neatly across the top, a set of familiar keys landed in her palm.

"The keys to your log cabin?" she said, looking up to him to find him nodding slowly.

"If by the school Christmas Party you don't have anything against Isobel, you have that to fall back on."

Elena looked back to the keys that rested against her skin, closing her fingers around them as tight as she could.

"Give them to Damon. If he choses to run, at least he'll have somewhere to run too."

Tears prickled at Elena's eyes as she nodded with a beaming smile, eternally grateful for everything Alaric was doing for Damon.

"Thank you" she wavered, "Thank you for being there for him. I can't imagine he would have made it through any of this on his own."

Alaric grinned, "trust me, that guy would take on the world for you. But it probably would have taken a few more bottles of whiskey for him to get through it without me."

Elena chucked while carefully placing the precious set of keys in her bag, knowing she would never let them out of her possession until it was necessary.

"I just hope he finds something to use against her. If he does she'll keep quiet. As much as she wants him, she'll take care of number one first."

"No shit," Alaric said, forgetting his place as her teacher, but not like that mattered anymore.

"I just want him to get out of here, not to be chased out, but of his own free will. I want him to have a life after this..."

"Lets just hope he does," Alaric said, glancing away to find the clock ticking closer towards their lesson.

Elena heard the sound of her fellow students growing louder outdoors, along with the 'clip-clop' sound of heeled shoes in the hallway outside Mr Saltzman's classroom.

"I'll get it back to Damon what we've discussed today, and that you have the keys. If he tells me anything i'll make sure you know before the week is out."

"Okay," Elena nodded, wiping her eyes and breathing deeply to compose herself before the bell rang. "Thank you" she whispered, wishing she could walk around the desk and hug him tight. She and Damon owed the man so much. But unless she wanted to run the risk of being caught in the arms of another teacher, it was best to stick with verbal appreciation.

"You're welcome," he replied, standing out of his seat as the bell drilled through their ears. "You better take your seat."

Elena nodded and as she approached her seat the tweens began to filter into the room. The usual crew, their names unknown, began their pointing and snickering at Elena. It didn't bother her; she didn't know them, so what did it matter? But she had to admit that when the people she knew the best, such as when Matt switched teams to poke fun at her, that really hurt inside. And now she's noticed Caroline drifting away after her sudden nose-dive into unpopularity. And that made Elena feel close to tears every time she thought about it.

"Hey there," squeaked a voice.

Elena looked up, her mouth agape to find some bratty blonde swirling a piece of bright pink chewing gum in her mouth. Elena placed her hands together on her desk, narrowing her eyes at the over-confident little twerp who was sniffing for trouble.

"Can I help you sweetie?" Elena cooed.

"I just thought I'd let you know we've seen your teacher-boyfriend arrive in the parking lot. Y'know, just incase you wanna give him a good morning smooch."

Elena felt her cheeks burn, she was outdone by a kid.

"I suggest you take your seat Suzie," came the stern voice of Mr Saltzman from behind the gum popping girl. It even caught Elena off-guard and she found herself jumping with surprise like Little Miss Bratty before her.

"Sorry Mr Saltzman," Suzie mumbled, scurrying towards her seat with her friends.

"Glad to hear it. How does detention sound for the rest of the week, hm?" said Alaric, Elena smirked as she watched Suzie's face drop. Alaric turned to address the rest of the class "And that goes for anyone else who had the audacity to be disrespectful towards Miss Gilbert. I will _not _allow such behaviour in my class. Now get in your seats and pay attention."

As Alaric put the fear of God into them, everyone soon shut up and took their places. Elena spotted the comforting smile that Alaric flashed towards her as he stood at the front of the class.

Yep - she and Damon owed him so, so much.

* * *

><p><strong>DAMON'S POV<strong>

Ugh... this was going to be a long, _long_ day...

Since his secret weekend with Elena, Damon had made it his mission to find anything that could discriminate Isobel. She returned from her parent's home on the Monday and while Damon expected a massive backlash for his heated phone call with her she didn't do anything. Not one, single, thing. Which in an odd way, freaked Damon out more so. The last thing he expected was to see her turn up on his porch, fine and dandy, ready to cook him dinner without a single hint towards his actions. Damon never once pushed his luck by bringing it up and remained quiet. But still, her silence on the matter felt like an underlying threat...

Regardless, Damon suggested he stay at hers for a few days to 'escape his stuffy apartment.' Which was actually code for 'to route around for skeletons in your closet... bitch.' It was hard. Incredibly hard. Even more so when he only had the one, useless left hand to do the searching for him. Isobel was there with him for two full days, only giving him opportunity to snoop when she showered or grabbed food from the kitchen. He found nothing, not even a goddamn diary in her bedside drawer.

At least she didn't suspect anything...

That familiar trickle of icy dread splintered down his spine as Damon walked closer and closer towards the school. Jesus he felt _ill. _If Elena was having such a hard time, what was _he_ going to be in for? It would have been so much easier to hold his head high if his relationship with Elena had actually been a bullshit fabrication of some attention seeking teenager. But because it was all very much true, and they'd only _just_ escaped by the skin of their teeth, Damon found himself falling apart as he stepped up the side walk, noticing the first few heads in sight begin to turn.

_Ignore it. Man up._

To keep himself from smashing his left fist into several eyeball-popping faces, Damon flicked open one of his folders in an attempt to look busy while he walked. A post-it note was stuck on the first page from Isobel.

_Good luck on your first day back, baby._

_Behave yourself._

_Iz x_

Damon would have scrunched the fucking thing up but with his right hand strapped in place he couldn't do so. His fingers were bound so tight they'd only just latched onto the steering wheel of his car. He flipped the folder shut to look up and find himself staring into a crowd of people gasping with surprise;

_He's got a nerve coming back here._

_Dirty fucker, as if he's actually come back.._

_Too bad they didn't finish him off._

_Is Elena waiting in the Janitors Closet for him?_

The sordid comments and laughter grew louder as Damon breezed through the hallway as calmly and as confidently as he could. He expected things to be bad, but not like this. No wonder Elena was such a fragile mess.

He didn't even dare glance into Alaric's class room. If he saw Elena in there, he knew he'd give himself away to even the most simple-minded kid in this joint.

And as if on cue, Isobel came wandering out of her room.

"I'd recognize those footsteps anywhere," she said, full of happiness and content as her eyes twinkled up at him. "How is it going?" she asked.

Damon slowed his steps, moving aside to allow a small group of kids to enter her classroom.

"Not well I'm sure you'll be pleased to know" he quipped, cocking his head to the side in the clever manner that he knew she hated. This was the one place he could annoy the fuck out of her because she couldn't do a single thing about it. He intended to make the best of it without pushing it. He dished out one of his devilish smirks to piss her off more so. "And how are you this morning?"

Isobel's eyes narrowed like a predatory lioness. She waited silently, hands cupped together in front of her as a few more of her students hurried into her classroom. Once quiet, she stepped forward to whisper;

"I'm feeling pretty good after last night..."

She stared up playfully, clearly replaying last nights events in Damon's apartment...

Thankfully, it wasn't sex.

Damon still managed to use his injuries as an excuse not to, but it wasn't going to hold off for much longer. Last night he was made to share a bath with her. Bubbles, candles, soft music, the works. It was _awful_. Damon felt like a kid about to lose his virginity to the last girl on the planet he wanted to do it with. He remembered clearly how she mounted him, tossing her hair porno-style over her shoulders as she made to lower herself onto an erection that she didn't realize he didn't have. With Oscar style acting Damon winced with pain, to which she sloshed around in the water to get off him as he writhed in 'pain,' groaning that 'as much as he wanted to, it would be pointless.' Adding silently to himself, _'It would be like trying to slide a slug through a slot machine'_

And back in the present moment, Damon actually chuckled in front of her, quite pleased with his silent joke. Of which Isobel mistook for a shared satisfaction of a hot, naked encounter in a bubble bath. If they weren't in the middle of school, he knew she would've planted her sour tasting lips all over him.

"I better get going" he finally said, suddenly feeling a heavier weight of dread on his chest, "have a good class, Iz."

"You too baby, see you at lunch" she winked. Her 'sexy' allure quickly altered to Perfect Teacher mode as a couple of girls went dashing into her room. Damon waited until she closed the door before making his way down the hallway.

His legs began to feel like rubber as he rounded the next corner. The final stretch to his class.

Somewhere in the space of two to three seconds, Damon found himself being roughly pushed forward. Unable to quickly comprehend what was happening, he went colliding into the white, breeze-block wall to his right, his folders and papers scattering like giant snowflakes around him and skimming onto the laminate floor.

"Oops! Sorry man!" called out the less than sincere voice of who Damon assumed was Tyler Lockwood. He would've looked, but he was far too busy trying to contain the amount of pain he was in. He didn't want to make a show of it, but behind closed doors he knew he would have bellowed a heavy outburst of agony.

Dots speckled his vision as he rested his head against the wall. A horrible sweat coated his body as he regained his breath. The pain in his ribs had settled in the last few days of rest but now it felt like a complete waste. The agony was back.

"My Goodness Damon, what happened?" came the dead-pan tone of Jonathan Gilbert. If Damon hadn't have been shoved into the spotlight for sleeping with his niece, he would've heaved out a cocky comeback. But Jonathan Gilbert was one man Damon really, _really_ needed to be on the best side of.

"Not sure, John" he said, his voice gruff and harsh between breaths, "I think i'll be alright."

A heavy sigh breathed from above.

"I suppose such behaviour from students is to be expected. Being accused of such a disgraceful act cannot be easy. It's difficult for myself, with the young lady in question being my niece..."

Damon slowly looked up to John in disbelief, wondering how the man could bring up the subject in public. He was fishing... fishing for any uncertainty in Damon's eyes. Damon hoped to God he wasn't giving him any reason to think he was hiding something.

John suddenly took one step closer as the hallways suddenly cleared of life. Damon could even smell the stale scent of the man's early morning coffee, could see the faint crows-feet wrinkles around his grey eyes, the hard stare blatant. Fuck, fuck, fuck...

"If you so much as _look _at Elena during the remainder of the time that you're here, I'll rip you limb from limb. I can promise you that, Salvatore. Is that in any way unclear?"

Through the pain, Damon clenched his jaw and stood upright, causing his enemy to take two steady steps backwards. Wordlessly Damon bent down, squinting his eyes at the stabbing sensation in his torso, and began to collect his papers while John remained above him, not making any attempt to help. And as though they had just finished a light-hearted conversation about their weekends, Damon smiled at John before saying,

"I'll see you at lunch, Mr Gilbert. Have a good morning."

He didn't get a reply. Obviously. Damon instead used the few seconds he had left to take a few even breaths, stepping closer and closer towards his classroom door which was closed. The sound of muffled voices and laughter grew louder. He couldn't believe he was back here after everything that had happened. After how fucked up his life became in the space of a couple of weeks. With his left hand wrapped around the handle, Damon glanced his sharp blue eyes forward and swung open the door.

Silence instantly.

Like an idiot he momentarily froze at the doorway as though he were about to leave again. Not such a confident move. Like letting go of his security blanket as a kid, Damon reluctantly released the door handle and made his way over to his desk. The kids were like controlled robots, heads moving simultaneously to his movements. With a slightly trembling left hand, Damon moved to unhook his folder from under his right arm. It almost went tumbling to the desk and floor. He was falling apart.

_Get it together. Get it the fuck together, Salvatore!_

Finally he looked around his class... noticing straight away the empty chair next to Bonnie Bennett. The kind-hearted young girl gave him a supportive smile, but Damon could not return it.

"Elena is in Saltzman's class if you're worried about her" announced one of the boys.

No sooner had the gasps and laughter erupted, Damon cleared his throat, ignoring the comment thrown at him.

"I understand that in my absence you've all completed mock examinations as planned..."

A ball of paper shot by Damon's head. The _oooollld_ ball of scrunched up paper. Damon looked back as it rolled pathetically to a stand still in the corner of the room, then turned to see Matt and Stefan high-fiving each other with big, pearly-toothed grins on their faces.

"Really?" Damon quipped, "Surely you should have a better aim than that if you're on the team, Stefan."

"Oooohhhhh" rumbled the class, all turning to look at Stefan who had stopped laughing. He was stumped and Damon knew it. Any teenager who throws a ball of paper has no witty comeback in them.

Damon smirked as Stefan shook his head and scowled out the window, rolling a pencil between his fingers so hard that the wood began to creek.

"Anyway back to maturity. Can anyone tell me how they found..."

_Sssssnap!_

The low rumbling of a chair drummed through everyone's ears before Caroline Forbes screeched, "Oh my God!" at the top of her lungs. Damon was ready for it this time, and quickly lurched around his desk, using it as a barrier as Stefan made to grab him.

"YOU **FUCKED** HER DIDN'T YOU!" Stefan yelled.

It actually shocked Damon to hear that come from Stefan. He didn't know the kid had such anger in him.

Arms out before him in a silent urge for Stefan to back off, Damon repeated the kid's name warningly yet calmly. He noticed his entire class were out of their seats, girls with hands clapped over their mouths and the boys generally dumb-founded. But no one dared interupt the heated moment. Stefan was quite clearly at breaking point.

After several moments of sharp silence, Stefan's body continued to heave with anger before Damon. A large vein pertruded from his right temple, jaw clenched and fists balled to his sides. But Damon didn't believe he was capable of any physical harm. The boy would never throw a punch, he wasn't that sort of kid...

_Yeah, but you are seeing the girl he's still madly in love with._

"Admit it!" Stefan raged, his face boiling to an angry shade of red, "Admit it that you **_FUCKED _**Elena!"

"You need to calm down, kid" Damon warned, eyes bulbous with anger and warning for him to back down. This fiasco was bound to get around the school and put him knee deep in shit again, so the last thing he needed was for Stefan to actually do something stupid.

"Yeah that's right, I am a kid, and so is _she!"_

"Stefan that's enough!" came Bonnie's voice. She appeared out of no where and began tugging on Stefan's bulging arm. He shrugged her away like she was nothing, almost elbowing her in the lip.

"I'm gonna get another teacher!" squeaked a girl from the back.

"Stefan**_ listen_** to me," Damon urged, trying to regain some control. As blindingly pissed off as the boy was, he slowly relaxed his shoulders and posture, keeping his eyes on Damon, ready to listen. "I can't imagine what you thought when those pathetic notes circulated around the school. I don't know whose twisted idea it was, but they're certainly laughing about it now. Don't give them the satisfaction, Stefan. They've caused a lot of unnecessary pain and upset and this needs to stop."

"But I saw it..." said Stefan, voice breaking up into a whisper. Damon felt his stomach drop, wondering what the Hell this boy was about to say. Everyone around them waited with baited breath. "I saw it in her eyes..."

Damon opened his mouth to speak the moment Isobel came bursting through the room with the girl who went to find a teacher. Of all the ones she could have picked...

Isobel was surprisingly calm as she entered the room, marching over to Stefan and placing her hands on his shoulders. The boy broke down at the contact.

"Stefan come with me," she ordered, trying to look at his face but his chin was practically resting on his chest as he sobbed silently.

Damon... to put it quite simply... had no idea what to do.

He just stood, still in a defensive stance as Stefan nodded slowly at Isobel's request, allowing her to lead him out of the room. She eyed Damon over her shoulder as if to say 'i'll take care of this...' he gave her a single nod in response, feeling a weight lift from his hunched shoulders as they left the room.

Then he was left with twenty-eight pairs of eyes staring at him, expressionless, say for a few slack-jawed mouths as everyone tried to take in what just happened. Damon swallowed the thick, dry lump in his throat and quickly picked up where he left off.

"Apologies for that guys," he said, unable to level the wavering in his voice.

And like a force of habit, he glanced over to where Elena would normally sit. There he found Bonnie, who smiled in his direction, showing him she was on his side.

He and Elena needed to thank the girl one day. And somehow that support from Bonnie helped him through the rest of his class without any more trouble. It wasn't like anyone could top Stefan's performance. It wasn't like any of the remaining teenagers had any reason too.

But as Damon managed get the class discussing their latest work, he couldn't help but wonder what Isobel was doing with Stefan right now;

Had she told him to calm down and take a beat?

Was she quizzing him on what he could possibly know?

Was she plotting a way to use him as a pawn in her next move against him and Elena?

Which ever way Damon looked at it, it was either going to destroy any hope of freedom, or it was going to be his leverage on his road towards it.

And he had an idea of how to achieve that leverage. It was a long shot, a risk and perhaps fantastically over-ambitious.

But still...

* * *

><p><em>It was a long time coming, but there you have Chapter 27!<em>

_Don't worry I'll totally understand if you guys don't feel I deserve an update. But I do intend to see this story to the end. It may just take a little time getting there :-)  
><em>

_Anna x _


	28. Chapter 28

_!_

_I'll admit I have neglected this story in the last couple of months or so and for that I do apologize. A: the ending is proving a massive struggle to write, but I am getting there. B: Currently looking after a very poorly mum and she's always number one! :-)_

_However I bring you Chapter 28. Nothing like how I wanted it to be for you guys, but hopefully it is better hehe. I hope all of you are well, and that you enjoyed the Season 3 Finale. Ultimately we have one up on Stelena... as always! Thank you writers!_

_And now.. on with the story!_

* * *

><p><strong><span>ELENA'S POV<span>**

"Stefan did what! ?"

"Sssh!" hissed Bonnie, slapping her hand ungracefully over Elena's open mouth, "do you want to attract more attention to yourself than you already have?"

Before Elena could shake her head in response, Bonnie dragged them to the nearest place where they could speak without prying eyes and ears. Suitably, the library was right next to them and was almost always deserted at lunch time. It seemed Bonnie wasn't satisfied until she'd lead them into the darkest depths of the most boring book aisle where they wouldn't be disturbed.

"He actually went to _attack _Damon?" Elena said, cutting to the chase, needing to know what the Hell happened in classroom E6 that morning.

"Yeah he did. He was hysterical Elena, it was... "

Elena watched Bonnie try to fathom the words as she shook her head, "it was just crazy. He was adamant about you and Mr Salvatore and he didn't care who heard it."

Elena felt her blood curdle unpleasantly through her tiny frame. _Stefan you stupid, stupid fool... _she thought, closing her eyes and slumping against the dusty book case. Would this nightmare never end? It seemed she and Damon were constantly tipping over the edge of discovery. No sooner they were reeled back into comfort, their line was tugged violently yet again into danger.

"So what did Damon do to knock some sense into that idiot" Elena sighed, blinking across to Bonnie who began to bite her bottom lip, struggling to maintain eye contact. _Oh.. I am not going to like what I'm about to hear._

"Isobel took Stefan away."

Elena perked up at this with alarm.

"What?"

"Someone, I can't remember who, they went to get a teacher and they happened to land on her. She didn't give anything away she just... I dunno.. came in and lead him away, cooing him like he was a little kid the entire time."

"She's going to poison Stefan's mind. I just know it. She's seen first hand how he's prepared to hurt Damon to get to me, she'll have him eating out of the palm of her hand!"

Elena was struggling to keep cool about this. No doubt Isobel will have come up with some ingenious plan to use Stefan against them. A pawn in her evil game. The feeling was unsettling and there were now two people who could strike at any moment and reveal all. And the fact Bonnie hadn't said anything to reassure her showed she was thinking the exact same thing. Elena palmed her hands together and pressed them to her lips, trying to keep it together, humming deeply, meditively through her lips to unknot her thoughts and think clearly.

But she couldn't.

Then she remembered... the log cabin keys in her bag!

_"Give them to Damon. If he choses to run, at least he'll have somewhere to run too."_

Alaric's words swept through her mind like silk. She hastily yanked open her bag, hearing the keys jingle somewhere inside.

"Elena what're you..."

"Here!" Elena crushed the keys into Bonnie's hand, "take these to Damon for me."

"A bunch of keys?" Bonnie said, raising an eyebrow.

"He'll know what they're for. I can't take them to him, you'll have to do it for me. He'll be safe." Elena said, suddenly feeling choked up.

"Elena..." Bonnie started, an ebb of uncertainly in her voice.

"What? What's wrong?" Elena said, feeling her blood curdle once more

"Nothing it's just... perhaps it's a little hasty having him runaway after this morning, after everything in these last few days, it will scream guilt."

"Or scream that he's an innocent man escaping to freedom!"

"But he isn't innocent is he! ?"

"Ssssh!" whispered Elena, mirroring Bonnie's actions earlier and clamping her hand over her mouth. They hadn't realized how loud they had gotten, anyone could have heard!

After a few moments of stuffy silence, Elena removed her hand. Bonnie seized the opportunity and placed the keys back into it.

"I'm sorry Elena, but I think right thing would be to stay put until it blows over."

"But Bonnie it _isn't _going to blow over. Isobel has Stefan now - Damon being outed is only a matter of time."

* * *

><p><strong><span>DAMON'S POV<span>**

"Just a little more to the left... perfect," Damon mumbled. With a less than graceful decent from the table, causing his chest to cramp in protest, Damon stepped back to quietly admire his handy work.

With slow and even footsteps, Damon surveyed the camera he had carefully hidden in Isobel's living room. The small device was hidden brilliantly in her bookshelf, on one of the highest shelves and certainly out of her reach. As he cracked a satisfied grin on his lips, he heard Isobel's footsteps boom along the floorboards from her kitchen. Damon casually acted as though he'd moved to collect the television remote from atop of the TV set as she entered. If the camera wasn't discreetly placed he'd have been fucked in resolving the matter. Thank goodness he'd managed it during the 4 minutes she was in the kitchen making them mojitos.

"Here you go baby," she smiled, handing him his drink.

"Not drugged is it?" Damon quipped.

She gave him a less than amused look, Damon cocked his head to the side.

"Sorry, " he added, "it just wouldn't surprise me"

He watched as Isobel eyed him cautiously, sneering at him over the rim of her glass as she drank.

"Quite a spectacle that was in your class today," she fired, while Damon fought back the uneasy frown that twitched at his brow. "Poor Stefan was a mess,"

"Yeah.. having someone leave notes in lockers about the ex-girlfriend who you're still in love with will do that to you" Damon retorted.

"Aren't you nervous about what I could have said to him... or _showed_ him."

"Of course I'm nervous," Damon spat, "But I'm not going to give you the satisfaction. And you haven't said a word to him. If you had, the Sheriff would've already haul my ass into the back of a cop car by now."

Well that threw her off. Was she expecting him to be at his knees pleading with her to keep him safe? She would love nothing more. Damon shook his head and wandered aimlessly across the room, taking a large gulp of his overly sweetened mojito.

"Have you been up to something in here Damon?"

_Shit..._

Damon turned around to argue with her, but she was looking around the room, carefully studying her belongings. What did he say or do to make her catch him out like this? Damon shifted uneasily on his feet, hearing his breathing begin to shake as he watched her slowly wander across to her bookshelf. She looked over her shoulder, her dark eyes shining with malice.

"What are you getting at Isobel?" he said tiredly, hoping he sounded convincing enough to make her stop in her search for whatever she felt he had done. If she found the camera he was screwed.

He clenched his jaw as she looked back to survey her bookshelf. She was not buying his 'you're-overreacting-now-lets-curl-up-on-the-couch-and-watch-TV' bullshit. Damon froze as she began moving various books aside, even tossing some to the floor. As he helplessly stared at her hands crawl higher and higher towards the shelf where he hid his camera, it made him wonder... did she suss him out so easily because she had done the same to him? Did he unknowingly have cameras watching his every move in his apartment? The thought made his stomach drop.

Isobel's long, slightly bony fingers trailed higher until she was on her tip-toes. Surely if she had cameras in his apartment, she would have caught him out with Elena while she was away at her parent's. Why hadn't she used it against him further? Or perhaps it was a part of her plan to catch him out at the perfect time. Like if he ever chose to leave, of which he would be very soon. Does she know that he is leaving? If so, how? Through cameras in his home? Did John Gilbert or Mrs Lockwood let it slip? So many thought's and 'what if's' raced through Damon's mind. It was all driving him to breaking point.

Her fingers finally rested on the shelf where the camera laid. Damon did the only thing that would make her stop.

As her fingers were about to move the book which hid the camera, Damon marched across to her over-stretched body, spun her around, and kissed her square on the lips.

At first he felt her resist, his administrations catching her off guard. However she soon began to melt against his body, her hands finding his broad shoulders and sliding upwards to tangle into his dark hair. Elena would do this and it would catapult his body into full on passion. But with Isobel, it left him cold and disconnected. But this was working, she was pushing him away from the bookshelf into the direction of her couch.

She shoved him hard, causing his ribs to ache at the contact, more so as his back slammed against the back of her less than comfortable couch.

"Sorry, baby" she mumbled as she crawled on top of him. Damon didn't have the chance to say anything back as she crushed her lips against his, her tongue demanding entrance to his tightly closed mouth while her hands sloppily unbuttoned his shirt.

Her breathless kisses trailed from his lips, to his chin, nibbling their way down to his neck. Damon blinked open his eyes and craned his neck to look over to the bookshelf while he had the chance.

"Ah!" he gasped as Isobel bit his neck, momentarily looking down at her to make sure she wasn't looking at him. Damon glanced back to the shelf to see his camera was still in place and unnoticeable to the unfamiliar eye. He smirked at his victory, though was soon hurdled back to the present as Isobel writhed in his lap, her hair tangling into his face as she tugged his shirt down his arms.

"It's about time you gave in to me" she groaned, staring at him through her veil of hair as her hands got to work on his belt. "This was all you had to do Damon. This was all you had to do to stay safe."

Damon gulped down the heavy lump in his throat as the thick, groan of his zipper echoed through his ears. It dawned him that he would have to go through with this. No aches from his hand and ribs could save him now. But had he not acted those few minutes ago, he would have been kissing goodbye to his freedom. If he endured this, he'd be safe... for that little while longer at least.

But it didn't stop the massive weight of guilt that crippled his body. He turned his thoughts to Elena; imagining it was her crawling over his body, using him for her pleasure. Hot memories of this scorched into his mind, making the current situation bearable.

Isobel's fingers wrapped tight around his erection. Damon squeezed is eyes shut, resting his head back on the couch as he silently repeated to himself that he could get through this.

"See.." Isobel whispered, her tone childlike, disturbing Damon to the core. She stroked her hand slowly up and down his length. "I told you you would like me in the end."

"This is a natural reaction Isobel. This doesn't mean I like you" Damon growled.

"Careful Damon," she warned, slowly sliding down his body until he felt her sink between his knees. "It would still be unwise to upset me. Just relax and enjoy what I can give you."

Before Damon could respond she took him in her mouth. Damon felt no pleasure. She was not Elena. Only Elena had the power to make him _feel. _He kept his mind on her while Isobel hummed her mouth around his length, causing him shudder with hate, feeling totally violated.

"Are you feeling it, baby?" she asked, her hand now pumping his dick hard and fast. Damon refused to look, he just continued to remind himself on why he was allowing this to happen. He just prayed it wouldn't last much longer.

And his prayer was answered.

A loud knock on the door spooked Isobel between his legs. Damon used his moment of freedom to yank up his boxers and pants. Thank fuck for whoever was at the door.

"I'll get it," Damon stated, looking down at a bemused Isobel sprawled against the couch.

"No, I will!" she stammered from behind him.

The door knocked loudly again.

"Isobel!" came a muffled voice on the other side. Damon frowned. The voice was familiar.

"I'll get it. You're indecent" Damon bit back, glaring down at her like she was dirt on the bottom of his shoe. Buckling up his belt, he turned his attention back to the door.

Perhaps this would be the moment Damon would finally have something to use against her-

"I said_ i'll_ answer it," growled Isobel.

Damon didn't have a second to react as Isobel yanked on his right hand, making sure to twist the fingers, knowing it would _hurt._

**"AHH! YOU _FUCKING_ BITCH!**_**" **_spat Damon, not giving a flying fuck as he grabbed ahold of her by her forearms, ramming her against the nearest wall with the same force as if it were a man who'd picked a fight in a club with him.

"Get the fuck off me!" she hissed, trying to fight her way out of his vice grip. Damon was having none of it. If ever a chance was given to him to out Isobel, this was it. Clearly someone was at the door who she didn't want him to see. With a cold stare he watched her flail in his arms, weakening against his stronger hold. His hand hurt like a bitch, but he made sure he didn't show it. Any moment of weakness and she'd use it against him.

"Who is that at the door?" he ordered.

She refused to answer. Damon bit his finger nails into her arms.

"Ah! You're hurting me, dammit!"

"Who is at the door?"

"I'll reveal you for this, Damon. I swear that to-"

"Who's at the _fucking_ door, Isobel! ?"

Damon was so close to her that the tips of their noses touched. Their breath mingled. A flash of fear glinted in her eyes as Damon held her stare. She wasn't going to say anything... and she sure as Hell wasn't going to keep him safe now.

_...Like she would have done anyway._

Damon shoved her aside like a ragdoll and pursued to answer the front door.

He was too late. They were gone.

"Shit."

He quickly stalked out of the apartment, looking in every direction to find out who was so determined to see Isobel. His cerulean orbs desperately sought out for any possible figure. But the cold, winter darkness came out with nothing.

But he was almost certain that the muffled voice he heard was Stefan.

A loud slam of the apartment door behind him shocked his senses. It was almost like a gun shot, blasting out into the night. Damon turned and watched as Isobel hauled an overnight bag and her laptop into her car.. what the...?

"I'm going to my father's. It's my mother's funeral tomorrow."

What? She was just going to up and leave? It seemed careless and incredibly out of character for her not to warn him she was leaving so sudden. This was becoming one fucked up evening. Isobel was becoming more fucked up in the mind with every passing minute.

"Who was that at the door? Was it Stefan? Have you reeled him or some other poor kid into your little game?"

Damon barked his words over her shoulder, standing directly behind her as she messed around with things in her car. She was shaken. Scared, even. This was great leverage.

"You won't find out who that was Damon" she said with confidence, turning to face him...a ghost of a smirk curled on her lips. "Not until the right moment anyway."

Damon's confident gaze subtly faltered, and it was slowly replaced with his demonic glare that he reserved only for this woman.

"What?" he said darkly.

"I'll be back in three days time. I'll see you at the school Christmas dance on Friday night, baby. You've _really _overstepped the mark. Unless you've got an escape plan i'd get the running shoes at the ready Salvatore. I'm going to enjoy knowing how terrified you'll be."

Her hand tentatively reached out to stroke his jaw. The feather-like touch hit Damon like ice.

"Anything to say before I go?" she said, blinking up at him like she didn't know any better, her hands now resting on her hips.

"Yeah... yeah I have something to say" Damon said, taking a step closer. "Whoever it was that hurt you so, so badly in the past, to turn you into the sick, twisted bitch that you are today, he had one _very _lucky escape."

With each word he saw the devastation take hold of her, and a single tear to roll down her vacant face. Damon wordlessly opened the car door for her, narrowing his eyes, the look making her get into the vehicle without protest.

Tearfully, Isobel started the car. Damon felt a wave of relief spread through his body at the welcoming revs of her engine. As he took a step backwards to retreat to his own car, his eye caught Isobel rolling down her window to speak to him.

"Enjoy prison, Salvatore - _**if**_ you make it that far..."

As the cold stab of fear knifed into his chest, Isobel quickly sped off down the street without giving him the chance to ask her what she meant - but deep down he knew exactly what she meant.

Isobel was far gone enough in the head to want to kill him.

* * *

><p><strong><span>ELENA'S POV<span>**

Elena anxiously watched Bonnie call Damon for the umpteenth time. As the last of the rings blurbed down the receiver Bonnie shook her head in acceptance that Damon would not answer this call either. Elena wrapped her comforter tighter around her body as Bonnie moved the phone away from her ear.

"Nothing," she confirmed.

"Something is wrong," Elena said as an awful feeling eloped her. "Something has happened, I just know it."

"Don't get yourself worked up 'Lena'" came the authoritative tone of Bonnie Bennett. "He's probably busy finishing work, cooking dinner, heck he could be in the can!"

"Bonnie!" gasped Elena, soon giggling and blushing, "ugh lets just do something to distract me. Anything."

"Hmm..." mused Bonnie, Elena watched her friend spring to her feet, heading into the direction of her wardrobe, "we need to dust off one of your amazing dresses for the Christmas party."

Oh.. Elena almost forgot about that. The thought of going made her feel terribly sick. All those eyes on her and not for the right reasons. With Damon there? And Isobel? Her Uncle John. Stefan! There was no way this evening could happen. There was no way she could go. She was still clinging on to the hope that Damon would be safe and out of Mystic Falls by then. But it seemed as the hours rolled by, the more they were grasping at straws.

Running away seemed like the only option.

"Elena!"

"Huh?"

"Back in the bedroom?" Bonnie rolled her eyes with a smile, turning back to assess the contents of Elena's wardrobe. Elena was impressed with Bonnie's attempts to keep things upbeat. She was making the impossible, possible.

"Right, okay" Elena rubbed her hands together, moving out of her nest of blankets to get down to business. "It needs to be something festive. I'm thinking red. Or green?"

"Caroline is going for green, as always. We don't want to you clash, so how about-"

"Your phone!"

Elena's heart sucked into her throat as she saw Bonnie's cell flash and buzz on her bedsheets. Like a startled mouse, Bonnie scurried over to answer it.

"Mr Salvatore?"

A smile confirmed that it was him. Elena felt the weight of world lift from her body and she could have squealed with joy. He was okay. He was safe!

She watched the various facial expressions cross Bonnie's features. Non of which confirmed anything for Elena who stood a few feet away, her hands clasped together as if they were in prayer. Elena continued to wait anxiously for whatever she was about to hear.

"Okay Mr Salvatore, I'll put her on the phone."

Elena didn't know whether to be excited or fearful of this conversation. She stared down at the phone in Bonnie's hand like it was a gross amphibian. But whatever it was, Damon needed her and she needed him.

She took the phone, smiled to Bonnie and wandered over to her window through force of habit, gazing out to the quiet street below as she raised the phone to her ear.

"Hello, Damon?"

"Hey there," he said, sounding relatively normal. Elena took this as a positive and smiled down the phone. "How are you Miss Gilbert?"

"Oh the usual; happy, sad, ecstatic, terrified" she replied in a poor attempt at a joke. She could hear the smirk playing on Damon's lips.

"Fun and games as always, huh?"

"Always" Elena said, sliding down to sit comfortably. She saw Bonnie quietly exit the room through the reflection of her window. Now they had privacy, Elena allowed the words the flow, "I'm so sorry about Stefan..."

"It's not your fault Elena. I've told you before - _none _of this is your fault."

"I know," she whispered, willing herself to keep it together. "It just feels like we've been knocked back yet again. Isobel must have told Stefan something, she wouldn't waste such an opportunity. I'm so scared he'll hurt you."

For some reason, Elena half expected Damon to have interrupted her by now, telling her she was overreacting... but he didn't. Infact he was deathly silent moments after she stopped talking. It unnerved her as she gripped the phone tighter to her ear. "Damon... is everything alright?"

"Yeah..." came his faraway response. A rumble of uncertainly shook Elena's heart. "Everything is fine."

He was lying.

"Damon what's happened?" Elena said.

"What's happened?" he said, his toning confusing her a little. "Isobel has left town for a couple of nights, that what's happened."

Elena could picture the cheeky arch of his eyebrow perfectly. Maybe everything _was_ alright.. or as alright as they could get anyway.

"She has?" she perked.

"Yep" said Damon, popping the 'p' in all his glorified cockiness. "Fancy a sleep over?"

"But I have school tomorrow,"" Elena said playfully, "I'd hate to be late for class."

"Then we'd better make sure you're not late to bed," drawled Damon. Oh his voice did wicked, wicked things to her. "I'd make sure your family know you're staying at Bonnie's tonight."

"Oh I will,"

"Good girl," came his response. Elena could already feel the wetness of anticipation between her legs. "I'll see you soon Elena."

"You shall. I can't wait to see you"

"Likewise Miss Gilbert."

And with that he hung up.

As if on cue, Bonnie entered her room, poking her head through the crack of the door.

"Guess we're raiding your clothes for sexy underwear instead, right?"

Elena couldn't hide the smirk... 

* * *

><p><em>Hmm.. so will Damon be facing prison, freedom, or something much, much worse? After a smutty chapter 29 all will soon be revealed!<em>

_Thank you to those of you who review this chapter and have stuck with me through my update drought! I hope I won't be as long for the next one. It'll be before the Season 4 premiere I promise :-P hehe._

__Anna xxx__


	29. Chapter 29

_Hello Delena fans!_

_Thank you for all of your reviews, I'm so pleased many have stayed throughout my writing drought! I know Isobel is a complete psycho but rest assured, as I here I present to you a full length Delena chapter with smutty goodness. Enjoy!_

* * *

><p><strong><span>Damon's POV<span>**_  
><em>

Once Damon finished his call to Elena, he broke the speed limits to get back to his apartment - and it wasn't just to be there in time for her.

With haste and a determined look shielded over his glassy eyes, he barged through his front door and began an intense search of his apartment for any cameras that Isobel may have hidden. It wasn't a fluke that she began looking around her own lounge for them. She sensed something in Damon that told her he'd done the same thing as she had to his own place. Cameras _had_ to be hidden somewhere.

Baring his teeth and seething with rage as he raided his own shelves, Damon cursed under his breath as he came out empty. The TV area was also clear, along with his bathroom, heck he even contemplated hunting around the food in his fridge for a lens blinking at him.

"C'mon.." he growled to himself, storming into his room and aimlessly looking around for something... anything that would be a decent place to put a camera.

He was such a minimalist when it came to interior design. There was no clutter unlike Isobel's place, he couldn't think where in his bedroom she could have hidden one. But something niggled, tugged and itched inside him to say that he had to keep looking.

Damon had to refrain himself from flexing his healing right hand into a fist... the wall looked incredibly inviting to punch.

"Fuck!" he hissed, slumping back onto his bed with a heavy sigh, drooping his arm over his tired eyes as if to block out the world.

It dawned on him that the camera he had placed in Isobel's home would only ever film an empty living area as she had left for her mother's funeral. His last and final plan was down the shitter. It also dawned on him that Stefan was now a confirmed threat. It _had_ to be him at the door earlier; his connection to Elena and his little Fight Club performance in class today was one almighty giveaway. Unless it was that short-arsed punk Tyler, he seemed keen on causing trouble... no it was Stefan. Absolutely. It was wasting energy thinking it could be anyone else.

Like a fist connecting to his bruised chest, Damon heared Isobel's final words echo eerily in his mind. It didn't matter to her if she had her wicked way with him anymore. She was too far gone in her Fairytale world and she was happy to be rid of him to at least appease her lack of satisfaction from him. With Stefan under her wing who knows what she's managed to manipulate into his emotionally fragile brain. If he didn't have the cops on his back by the time of the Christmas Dance, did that mean it would be Stefan's job to kill-

"This is madness" Damon mumbled aloud.

With another weighty sigh, Damon slipped his arm from his forehead to prop it behind his head on pillow... then something caught his attention in the corner of his left eye.

Near the window...

He sat up with a start, ignoring the distant ache in his ribs. Clambering from the mattress to his feet Damon arched his neck back to inspect the tiny, ever so tiny stationary red light attached to the metallic curtain rail.

It was very carefully placed and such a small device, but a camera with a full view of his bed nonetheless. Twisting it around between his fingertips, Damon didn't think about how Isobel got it there, or whether she had seen any footage of himself with Elena, instead he wandered out to his kitchen, slid the rolling pin out of a drawer and proceeded to smash it into pieces.

Sweat beaded at his forehead as he tightened his left hand around the smooth wooden kitchen tool, raising it down to the camera one last time, causing it to shatter into pieces beyond repair.

"Crazy fucking bitch" he growled, shoving the rolling pin into the drawer once more and quickly depositing of the broken camera.

Then a soft yet determined knock rapped at his front door.

The fact his heart didn't snap with fear told him it was Elena.

Damon didn't miss a beat as he made his way over to the front door, realizing on the way, seeing that front door come closer and closer to his reach, how much he needed that young girl on the other side.

No sooner had he twisted the door knob and opened it Elena was leaping into his arms. He was engulfed with her All-Elena fragrance; soft, mellow and morish. He nuzzled his face into the curve of her slender neck, deeply inhaling the sweet scent of her hair and tightening his grip around her body that clung to his like a magnet.

Isobel, Stefan, John, Mystic Falls High, Prison, Death - none of it mattered anymore.

"Damon," she breathed, her hands curling into his dark hair and making his body shudder with pleasure and relief.

"Let me look at you," he whispered, watching his girl as she drew back to look him in the eye. His thumb tenderly stroked her full cheek and she smiled, turning her head a little to kiss the pad of his thumb. That alone sent a waterfall of lust to trickle into the depths of his loins.

Wordlessly, Damon continued to look at her as he closed the door, closing them in the darkness of his apartment. Somewhere in the back of his mind he thought twice about allowing Elena to remove her shoes incase other cameras were planted around. Was he being incredibly stupid? Should they risk being caught by going elsewhere for the evening? He contemplated telling Elena as she eased off her pumps. But as she tossed her head back up to look at him, he shielded his worry as best as he could with a half-smile.

"Are you alright?" she whispered in the dark.

"I'm fine," he lied, pleased it was too dark for her to see his face. The uncertainty in his eyes would have been a massive giveaway. "How's my girl?"

"All the better for seeing you," she replied, stepping forward and circling her hands around his neck, her cool fingers sliding beneath the collar of his shirt to stroke the hot, smooth skin of his back. "Damon I know you say none of it's my fault, but I want to apologise for today. Stefan... his behavior is so..."

Damon cut her off by pulling her into a deep, searing kiss. She blended against his body, tightening her hold on him as he did her. He didn't not want to discuss any of the shit that was forever at a constant. It was unstoppable now. His future looked pretty damn bleak and if he had the opportunity to relish in the present he was sure as Hell gonna take it.

He'd do a full search of his home later for cameras. Isobel and her death threat can wait one more night.

Tonight belonged to Elena.

She began to shrug off her warm, winter jacket with a little difficulty. Damon smiled at her attempts and with swift ease, pulled the clothing from her arms, dropping it to the floor. He went to make work of her t-shirt, but she abruptly stopped him..

"Ah-ah! Not just yet" she smiled. Even in the darkness Damon could see a playful twinkle in her eyes.

"Ooh... you intrigue me Miss Gilbert. What do you have waiting for me under this?" he said, tugging on her fiendish top.

"It's a surprise" she whispered against his lips. Her hot breath danced on his closed mouth, sending a rush of blood to his manhood that had already begun to strain at his pants. "But _your_ clothes on the other hand.." she said, blinking up at him, sliding her hands from his to trail them down his chest, down his stomach, down to his...

**_FUCK..._**

"Elena stop," Damon said sternly, suddenly feeling violently ill at the blast of memories from only hours previous; Isobel throwing him onto the sofa, kissing him wildly, her mouth sucking his... "Elena.." she continued to kiss the corner of his mouth, her hand finally grasping his erection. "Elena, I said _stop!_"

Damon saw the confusion and hurt wash over her face the moment she backed herself away from his body.

"What did I do wrong?" Elena asked meekly. Damon wandered away from her towards his room, wondering where the fuck to begin with explaining what happened with Isobel without it turning into chaos... but who was he kidding. This was going to crush Elena but he couldn't hide it from her. It felt like he'd cheated, though none of it was consensual. _**WHY THE FUCK DIDN'T I THROW ISOBEL OFF ME?**_

"You did nothing wrong, baby" Damon said, walking back over to Elena who was shrinking away with embarrassment and looking rejected. Damon kiss her forehead needfully, ghosting down her eyelids, hearing her gasp as his lips met hers.

"Then what... is the... problem?" she said between soft kisses.

Her eyes were searching his for an answer. He didn't know where to begin. Didn't know what to say and what to avoid. But the beginning was probably the best option. With a deep breath, Damon looked hard at Elena, his hands cradling her face, silently willing she would be on his side.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Elena's POV<span>**

"Earlier this evening, Elena... I was with Isobel. At her apartment. She was overwhelming me with threats, the usual abuse but intensified. She almost caught me out and I did what I thought was the only way of making her back down..."

Elena swallowed hard as she braced herself for what she knew was going to come. She saw the struggle behind Damon's words. He was trying to be strong, but she could see past that. He wasn't made of stone, as much as he likes to appear that way. But he didn't look away as he continued to speak lowly and evenly.

"We didn't sleep together, but contact was involved. Quite intimate. I..."

"Ssssh" Elena hushed, putting a finger to his lips, trying to digest the information without reducing to tears. "You don't have to tell me the details."

"None of it was wanted Elena" he said sternly and she believed him. Without a shadow of a doubt. "I just couldn't carry on here with out without telling you. I hope you understand."

"I do," she choked, enjoying the feel of his thumbs as he caressed the side of her face, his fingers splaying into her tumbles of hair. "It just makes me angry."

"I understand if you feel that way about me Elena. I don't blame-"

"I'm angry with **_HER_** not you. I could never be angry with you about this. She... she's so horrible, she's... she's **_fucking_** evil!"

It was Damon's turn to hush her, brushing her hair out of her face to make her look at him. She felt the emotion and love ignite between them. The crap he was willing to face and to put up with just to be with her. He was just... incredible.

"But she's gone for now," Damon assured her, which prompted Elena to ask,

"Why didn't it go further?"

She noticed his brow knot together ever so slightly, but his gaze remained steady. The intense blue of his eyes streamed through her.

"We were interrupted. Then she left."

_Hmm.. a very short, clipped answer_. His tone did nothing to ease Elena's anxiety.

"She just left?"

"To her mother's funeral. She's gone. We need to enjoy what time we have, Elena." Damon said and with great need to distract her. His tone concerned Elena. Not that she doubted _him_.. but doubted how sure he was of the situation.

"What interrupted you?"

"Nothing."

"Damon!"

"It was no one for you to be concerned about."

"So it was _someone?_" Elena shook, feeling her heart take a nosedive as Damon slipped out of her grasp to look away angrily at his slip of words. With a deathly silence she watched him gather his thoughts to turn around and say cooly..

"I'm taking care of it. Trust me."

Elena felt like throwing one of the books from the floor at the wall she was that frustrated... wait a minute... books? On the floor?

She gingerly bent down to pick up an old copy of_ 'Gone with the Wind'_ Such an early print of the book so mindlessly tossed to the floor with so many others. She frowned deeply.

"What happened here, Damon?"

He looked around guiltily. Like a small child who hadn't managed to hide the evidence of raiding the cookie jar. He was slowly starting to look lost. Cornered. Plunging into a bottomless pit. Elena stroked her fingers over the fabric of the book and carefully placed it back onto the polished book shelf. She padded over to Damon who was leaning on the top of the couch, hands limp between his legs, falling deep into unsettled thoughts. She snook between his legs and wrapped her arms around his body. She silently thanked the heavens above as he instantly circled his arms around her frame, pulling her close to his body, his head resting against her breast

"The less you know about this Elena, the better." he mumbled, his deep voice rumbling against her chest. Elena silently took heed of his words as she toyed her fingertips through his raven hair in an attempt to calm him. It seemed to do the trick.

She did trust him. She just worried. She worried a lot.

"Just don't..." she started, waiting for his eyes to meet hers as he looked up. "Just don't keep anything from me that I _need_ to know. I want and need to be here for you Damon. Whatever happens."

He half smiled and Elena took this as a good thing as he reached up to kiss her ever so gently on the lips. A flourish of butterflies bloomed in her tiny body. His hands stroked over the curve of her hips, her waist, then his fingers tugged on her t-shirt.

"I'm getting a little impatient for my surprise," he drawled. His words made Elena's stomach knot.

She leaned forward to kiss him, but he paused, placing a finger on her parted lips. Her world began to crumble once again until a small smile crept onto his lips.

"I need to shower first," he said._ Ah... I remember why,_ Elena thought, suddenly feeling unbearably angry again. "Make yourself comfortable in bed" he added, voice low and deep as he planted a warm kiss on her cheek. The touch caused Elena's eyelids to flutter.

They parted ways as Elena moved into the bedroom, closing the door behind her as she heard the familiar sound of water blast from the showerhead in the bathroom of where she had many filthy memories; sharing a bath with Damon, watching him use her hand to stroke his impressive length, riding him hard until water sloshed around the sides onto the tiled floor. She could barely contain the squeal of excitement that squeezed in her chest as she dived into his bed, fully clothed, bringing the thick sheets up to her face.

When Damon emerged with nothing but a towel draped low on his hips, revealing his well defined body that gleamed with droplets of water, Elena felt her stomach quiver with anticipation.

Damon drew his left hand through hi sjet black hair, slicking it back so she could see the perfect angles of his face. He was a dream. Scorching blue eyes, like hot ice, burning down at her with a face of dark, sexual desire. She was the luckiest girl alive.

"So..' he began to casually saunter around the bed. Elena watched, her eyes peaking over the sheets, noticing how his muscles rippled and moved deliciously beneath his milky skin. Her heart was racing, so loudly she could almost hear it gallop through her eardrums. He sat down on the edge of the bed, gazing down at her, "What do I have to do to get my surprise?"

Elena swallowed hard, hoping words would form easily,

"Lay down on the bed" she managed, pushing down the sheets for him.

"Why Elena.. it appears to me that you have failed to rid yourself of your own clothing. May I do the honours?"

"Nope," she said, popping the 'p' as he does. A clever smirk crossed his features. "Do as you're told" she said, climbing out of bed for him to take her place.

Damon shrugged playfully and began to lean into bed.

"Without the towel" Elena ordered, feeling a web of excitement weave in her belly. She'd been controlling before, but she had never taken demand like this. It was exhilarating and she'd barely started.

Damon, never taking his eyes from her, removed the towel to reveal his magnificent naked body. Elena almost lost herself right there and then as he glided into bed, placing himself in the middle, sitting back against the plush pillows to watch her.

"Get comfortable," she said, feeling a sudden creep of nervousness, but seeing the way Damon looked at her made it disappear.

"I'm sure you can see how excited I am right now, Miss Gilbert" Damon drawled, arching an eyebrow. Elena noted he was growing before her eyes and his cocky attitude made her giggle. But she suddenly stopped and slowly trailed her fingers to the bottom of her t-shirt. What she wore was nothing special. But she hoped what was underneath would be a treat.

Slowly but teasingly, she began to roll her top over her stomach, gracefully removing it to reveal a delicate, black laced bra covering her full breasts. She flashed her dark eyes over to Damon, who indeed, was enjoying what he saw.

"Very nice," he spoke, breathing in as Elena dropped her t-shirt to the floor, then raising her fingertips to stroke through her long, rich hair, knowing how much he wanted to be doing that himself right now.

With a sudden burst in confidence, Elena stared over at him as she unbuttoned her jeans, slowly dragging down the zipper, feeling uber sexy as she swayed out of the material. She heard Damon's sharp intake of breath as she revealed lace underwear, crowned with matching black suspenders and stockings beneath. How she hid them under her normal clothes was a less than graceful act as opposed to stripping for Damon right now. She was silently proud of herself as she stepped out of her jeans, stroking her small hands over her toned thighs and hips. It felt so empowering to see how much she was driving him crazy. His hands were gently gripping the sheets at either side. Refraining himself from lunging for her so it would seem.

"You look incredible," he said, his voice sinful and dripping with sex. "Am I aloud to touch you?"

"Not yet" she teased, wagging her finger at him. He pouted playfully, making her giggle.

Without warning Elena stepped forward until she was crawling on the bed up to his body. She could feel her limbs shaking with excitement as she trailed over the length of his legs. She grasped his muscular left thigh with her left hand to support herself, while she used her right hand to curl around his throbbing member.

She felt his leg muscles clench deliciously as her right hand settled a steady rhythm, stroking the length of his cock exactly how she knew he liked it. She looked through her thick eyelashes to see her boyfriend with his head pushed back, eyes closed and lips parted as she pleasured him.

"MmmcanItouchyouyet?" he breathed, continuing to grip the sheets.

Elena copied his usual smug smirk as she tossed her hair over her shoulder, seeing his eyes open to look at her the moment her parted lips blanketed the head of his cock, sheathing it in her heated mouth, caressing her tongue over the silky tip.

"Ohjesus..." he groaned, sounding more unraveled and wanting than ever before.

For the briefest of seconds, it dawned on Elena that Isobel had done this to Damon only hours before. But as the anger bubbled, she turned it into affection for Damon as she stroked both of her hands over his strong thighs, bobbing her head up and down with a steady, slick motion that had Damon bucking slightly into her mouth for more. It turned her on like nothing else. She loved doing this to him.

"Elena... Fuck, I need to touch you..._ahh_"

She smirked around his girth as she cupped his balls. She'd never done this before and hoped instinct would serve well. As she caressed them in her palm with gentle pressure he was quickly coming undone under her hard-working hands and mouth.

"I'mgonnacomebaby..." he warned, fucking her mouth harder until she was practically deep-throating him.

Elena felt her stomach quiver with uncertainty but desire. She was so excited for him. Pleasuring him this way worked her into a frenzy. She hummed her need for him around his cock, the vibrations toppling him over the edge. She welcomed the hot jets of his release as they coated her waiting tongue and throat. He tasted clean, salty and delicious. She proceeded to lap up the last beads of come as Damon's hand lazily stroked through her hair, his breathing slowly returning to normal.

"Best... surprise... ever"

Elena laughed as she crawled over the length of his body to his lop-sided smile. His hands finally roamed over her body, admiring the lace of her stockings and gently groping her behind. She loved the feel of his hands on her. More so after denying him the permission to touch her. They warmed her thoroughly and she couldn't wait to feel them _everywhere._

"Do you like them?" Elena asked, glancing down at her provocative underwear, watching his hands lovingly caress her body. The answer was obvious... but still...

"Like them? " he began, turning her so she was beneath him. Elena felt her body sink back into the warm sheets where his body had been. With admiration she watched Damon rain kisses down her lace clad body. From nipple to navel he already had her breathing harder with need. He stopped at the juncture between her legs, sliding a finger along the length of a suspender strap and snapping it back, the nip of pain on her thigh sending delicious pinpricks of pleasure to her core

"I _love_ them. So much so, Elena..." He began to unclip the suspender straps from her stockings so he was able to pull down her underwear freely, "that I may keep them on while I make love to you."

"Oh Damon!" she gasped, moaning loudly as he gently slid a finger inside her wetness while his other hand traced her right stocking, grazing his fingers over the delicate lace. "Oh, please..."

"Please what?" he whispered, gently easing his probing finger out but lingering in her heat. Elena writhed on his digit, needing him to continue.

"Please.." she repeated, beginning to bob up and down, to which Damon added a second finger, stretching her out. "Mmm..." she hummed in thanks, enjoying the slow pace he used, embracing the flickers of pleasure that licked every inch of her skin.

But them he became slower... and slower in his movements.

"Nuurggghfaster!" she urged, getting hot and flustered under his touch, scrunching up her eyes as he denied her the rhythm that she sought.

Then the flat of his tongue proceeded to tap her swollen bud relentlessly until she began to cry for more.

"Oh! Damon don't stop!" she begged, relishing the moment his fingers began to frantically plunge back and forth inside her as she felt herself begin to tighten. "I'm so clo-o_h_-ose!"

And then he stopped.

Before Elena could cry out in protest, she looked up from her pleasurable haze to find him kneeling over her, massaging his cock in his left hand as he moved forward to enter her with one, swift thrust.

Elena, as always, became lost to this powerful man's hold over her.

She looked up to his face, her hands moving up to his head, pulling him down to kiss him hard as his hips rocked into her. It was slow, deep and the force of his movements drove her body deeper into mindless bliss. He leaned back onto his heels and Elena gasped at the sight of them connected so intimately. It turned her on like crazy to **WATCH** his cock make love to her.

Elena groaned with lust as she struggled to keep her eyes open the moment Damon picked up the pace. The image of him alone almost made her self-combust; his stomach muscles contorted deliciously with the force of his sharp thrusts, his head turned to the side to kiss and bite the heel of her stocking clad left leg that rested against his neck. Wow it was hot. Crazy hot. More than crazy hot as she saw the sweat begin to glisten on his body. It had been so long since he was able to fuck her this way after his incident and she had missed his dominance terribly. She was still in awe that Damon Salvatore belonged to her.

"I love you Damon," she breathed, feeling herself begin throb around him, hearing his own impending orgasm with his erratic breathing, with his movements harder, faster, until he began to fuck her into oblivion. "I love you so much!" she cried, throwing her head back.

"Come with me 'Lena" he rasped, grabbing both of her legs and keeping them pinned above his shoulders. Her legs being pushed together made the sensation of his cock inside her more intense, making her passage tighter.

Damon added to the intensity of their growing orgasms by doubling his speed until the sound of flesh slapping flesh bounced around the walls. "Fuck, Elena!"

Elena couldn't tell whether she was screaming his name, or just screaming with carnal pleasure as she exploded around him, her body convulsing with overwhelming pleasure that seemed to tug and twitch at her every nerve ending. Then she felt Damon's hot seed spill inside her, hearing his groans from above as his thrusts slowed to gentle movements.

Opening her eyes, she drew her arms up weakly, reaching out to him, wanting to feel him resting against her. Skin on skin. He complied and settled down onto his elbows at either side of her head, bending down to lazily kiss her. She relished the feel of their bodies together, slick with sweat from their love-making, their breathing laboured as they explored each other's mouths. Soon she felt Damon's heart beat against the swell of her breast and she smiled at the steady rhythm through their kiss. Jeez she loved him. She loved him more than words could possibly say.

"Worth staying up late on a school night?" Damon drawled. Elena blinked at him, watching the smug grin embrace his ridiculously good looks. It was infectious.

"Totally worth it," she replied, noting how husky her voice had become. She really _did_ scream the place down!

"Mmm" he hummed, pleased with her answer. Elena felt her stomach knot as he nipped her bottom lip. She was addicted to him. "Glass of water?"

"Please," she nodded, rubbing her hand up and down his toned arm as he moved from inside her. She automatically wanted him back and felt overwhelmingly sad to see his naked body walk away and he was only going to the kitchen for five minutes!

With a sated sigh, Elena flopped onto her back, smiling up at the celing with contentment.

Then she heard a noise. It was growing closer.

Sirens! They were sirens!

With a strangled gasp she felt herself suddenly fuze to the bed with fear. _PLEASE, NO. PLEASE GOD, NO!_ Were the only words that screamed in her head. They were coming. They were coming for Damon.

A bomb of adrenaline exploded within her and she dived from the bed,

"Damon!" She yelled, almost slipping on her feet as she stormed through to the kitchen.

She found him looking up from the kitchen counter with shock and concern, totally baffled by her hysteria.

"Jesus Elena, what's wrong!"

"The sirens!" she screeched, pointing towards the door.

Silence fell between them and sure enough, the whirring of sirens grew closer and closer to their location. Elena began to shake, feeling more terrified as the look of fear flashed through Damon's eyes. Yet he remained strong, he allowed that moment, that fleeting moment of panic but he reeled it in again.

"We have to get you out of-"

"Ssssh" he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Elena complied, but still unable understanding how he could be so calm. She remained frozen on the spot, noting that her feet were growing cold on the wooden floorboards. A slight wave of calmness billowed through her body as Damon circled his arms around her. They were still listening closely. Elena rested her head on his naked chest, gripping his arms, terrified she was about to lose him...

Then the sirens grew quieter...

Then quieter...

Until they were no longer in ear shot.

Gone.

"Elena I need you to listen" came Damon's deep voice from above.

Elena looked up to his beautiful face. He looked down at her with steely determination and she knew he was holding back whatever emotion wanted to come forth.

"I'm listening" she croaked, her voice scratchy from the pleasure and the panic.

His thumb and forefinger perched under her chin, making her look directly into his eyes.

"I meant what I said when I told you the less you know about this the better, because I need to keep you safe" he began, his stare growing harder, burning through to her soul. "But what you _do_ need to know is that I can't stay. Not for much longer. I don't know where I'm going to go, but... Elena..."

She pulled herself away from his arms and tearfully wandered over to where she dropped her bag and purse earlier in the evening. Idly she noticed that she had a habit of dropping things in the doorway of Damon's apartment. Quickly picking up her purse, she walked back over to Damon, her brisk walk allowing a cool draft to kiss her naked body. She smiled through her tears at his confusion, he must have thought she was walking away with anger. He furrowed his dark eyebrows harder the moment she pulled a bunch of keys from her bag. She watched closely as the realization dawned on him.

"Are... are they the-"

"Log cabin keys? Yes. Alaric gave them to me."

She stepped closer, once more feeling the heat radiate from his flawless body. She urgently cupped them into his hands, forcing his fingers to close around them and leaving no choice for him but to keep them.

"I can't take them, baby" he purred. Elena's jaw dropped at his words.

"Why not? If you don't know where to go, then you go here! You'll be safe!" she pleaded, now using both of her hands to keep his firmly around the keys.

"But with you knowing where I am I can't risk it. I won't have anyone, _**ANYONE**_ laying a finger on you to tell them where I am. I need to protect you."

"And I need to protect **_YOU_** Damon!" she screamed, feeling so angry that he continues to put her before himself. She was going to be fine whatever the outcome. He wasn't. She wasn't going to back down. "As much as you say none of this is my fault, it actually is. You would be living a normal life, doing the job of your dreams, living it up in this amazing apartment without a care in the world if you hadn't met me. But because you did, it's ruined everything for you._** I**_ am the reason your life is ruined. The least I can do is give you these keys, watch you take them, and allow you do what you wish with them. Don't make me take back these keys Damon. Please don't make me..."

She was relentlessly sobbing now, staring down at their entwined fingers, shaking them with every word she emphasized. Damon once again used his thumb and fore finger to raise her chin. Two streams of hot tears rippled down her cheeks as she blinked up, unable to stop them as he began to kiss each tear away. Oh his lips were like a remedy as they ghosted across her skin and her cries turned into quiet sobs. But she still made him hold the keys. He wasn't going to have one over her on this.

"I'll take the keys," he said evenly. Elena could almost burst with joy. "But under one condition.."

"Anything," she choked, her heart beating wildly.

"That you promise to never... _**EVER**_... believe that you're the reason my life is ruined. You're the best goddamn thing that's ever come into my life Elena, and I want you to tell yourself that every day. Do you understand?"

"Yes" she nodded, drawing herself into his body and hugging him close. His hands glided over the curve her back to tangle into her just-fucked hair, the other cradled the keys between them.

And they stayed that way. For what seemed like hours to Elena until she felt her eyelids become heavy with tiredness. Then she was being carried bridal style to the bedroom, nestled safely in Damon's strong arms as he placed her slowly between the covers. Then he proceed to gently unclip her suspenders and rid her legs of those stockings until she was bare. The cool sheets were welcoming on her skin, but feeling Damon's warm, naked body slip into bed next to her was even better. It was the _best_ feeling...

"Goodnight, Elena" he whispered, his breath dancing on her ear as he spooned her from behind. Elena turned her head to place a chaste kiss on his cheek.

"Goodnight, Damon" she replied, settling herself in his arms, falling into slumber.

The only thought troubling her, was whether that this could be the last time she shared a bed with Damon Salvatore.

* * *

><p><em>Hope you guys enjoyed it! I'm so excited to write the ending for you all now. It's gonna be... good, I think? :-P<br>_

_Anna x_


	30. Chapter 30

_Hey hey DE fans!_

_Wow... just wow... thank you for all of your lovely reviews. I was really worried I hadn't done Delena justice in that last chapter, but you guys have put my mind at peace. And as a treat, I give you probably longest and busiest chapter yet. I hope it isn't **too **much. Please let me know what you think!_

_I'm halfway through the process of writing the next chapter. It's gonna be dramatic *evil laughter*_

_Anyways... here is the calm before the storm... enjoy!_

* * *

><p><strong><span>Damon's POV<span>**

"So Bonnie is meeting you in ten minutes?"

"Yes she is," Elena said, shrugging her bag over her shoulder.

"Make sure you message me when you meet her. I don't want-"

Elena silenced him with a soft and supple kiss. Her lips were like velvet and she smiled against his. Damn she was so beautiful.

"I'll be fine," she hushed, her lips still touching his as she spoke. Damon could haul her over his shoulder and lock them away in his room for the duration of the day. But alas - reality was waiting for them. And it was a scary, _scary _place. Damon found himself gripping her waist subconsciously. He feared for her safety so much.

"I'm sure you will be, honey. But it's still a little dark and-" _a crazed ex-boyfriend of yours called Stefan could be lurking in the shadows _"... and I just want you to be safe."

"I will be. It's you who we should be more worried about" she replied, her voice laced with concern as her fingers toyed with his tie. "The sooner you're away from all of this the better."

Damon stared down at her while she continued to trace the stitching of his tie, not looking up at him. It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her _everything _that was exchanged with Isobel. If what Isobel was saying had any truth, he could be far worse off than being shut away in a cell. He wondered if being shut away in the morgue was a more likely outcome. A cold shudder grappled his spine the moment Elena chose to look up at him. Her big, brown eyes were a swirling pool of sadness and fear. He had to change subject.

"And the sooner you're at school Miss Gilbert, the sooner I can get a move on and be there as well" he said, sealing his words with a loving kiss on her forehead.

"I love you," she whispered. Those three beautiful words warmed the cold chill that eloped his body moments before. He smiled down at her. One of his genuine, loving, caring smiles that he didn't dish out to people very often throughout his life.

"I love you too, Elena. Now scram" he joked, slapping her pert behind as she turned to the door. She squealed at the contact and while her mouth was aghast with shock, her eyes were twinkling playfully.

"You better watch your back, Salvatore" she joked, then quickly and quietly making her way out of his premises and setting a rushed pace down the street.

Once she was gone, Damon mumbled his reply under his breath.

"I will."

* * *

><p>The moment Damon had a moment of silence he found himself falling into a state of serious anxiety. Those few minutes between each period, where his current class would move on to the next and he would be waiting for his next group, he was anxiously watching the door and the windows. It would fall silent, say for the distant echo of kids racing down the hallway or outside. Any off sounding footsteps or shouting, he would be stood bolt-upright, prepared and waiting for any assault.<p>

By the time it was his third class, he was getting pretty annoying with himself.

"Get a fucking grip" he mumbled to himself, pinching the bridge of his nose as he reclined in his chair, trying to force back the headache that poked at his brain.

***BANG!***

"_Sssshh_-it!"

A cold sweat flushed through Damon's body at the sound of several Christmas Crackers exploding simultaneously at his door.

"Mr Salvatore swore!" chanted some young kids who thought it'd be funny to frighten the living daylights out of him. He stared dumbfounded at the group who continued to laugh and chuckle away at the door with open crackers and party hats in their hands.

His heart rate refused to ease up. He really thought that was a gun shot. He really did.

Before Damon could dish them a telling off they scattered away, leaving him alone once more with an erratic heartbeat and sweat beading on his forehead.

"Stupid little pricks" he growled, rolling closer to his desk to open his next class register. He reached over for a pen in his stationary holder.

"Hey Damon..."

"Fuck!" Damon jumped back in his seat, pens scattering across his desk as yet another fright seized his body. "Oh it's just you..." he breathed, lowering the blunt pencil he had aimed in his hand as a weapon.

"_Just _me?" Alaric quipped, flopping his hand on his heart, "I'm hurt, Damon."

"What's up?" Damon asked, completely by-passing Alaric's crap joke.

As silence fell, Damon knew what Alaric was going to ask.

"Pretty dumb question but... are you alright, Damon? You can lower your weapon now..."

"No" came Damon's response as flung the pencil across the room, "I'm not alright at all, Ric."

"You seem more on edge than usual."

Damon slammed his register shut, finding it impossible to ignore Alaric. But knowing he only had minutes until his next class would start wandering in, Damon just came out with it. He would burst if he didn't say-

"Isobel threatened to kill me."

"What!"

"Isobel. You know, the psychotic bitch whose determined to fuck me and fuck my life up? She's threatened me with my life."

"... _fuck_," said Alaric, pretty much summing everything up. "Does Ele-"

"No and she isn't going to know about it if I can help it. As soon as the lights are up on the Christmas Dance I'm outta here. I just needed you to know."

Alaric nodded silently, clearly lost for words. It only surprised Damon slightly that he didn't question whether he was blowing Isobel's threats out of the water. But nope, it was plausible to think the woman would actually finish him off after the sick charade she's kept up over the last few weeks. The woman was in serious need of a doctor, the kind that would throw her into a padded room until she withered away to her death. Damon smiled morbidly at the thought as Alaric sighed heavily beside him.

"Why don't you just leave now?" Alaric suggested.

And to be quite honest, Damon hadn't thought about that. He no longer had any leverage to keep himself in Mystic Falls for so long, so why not skip town now while he had a better chance?

Then an awful thought occurred to him.

_Just because I leave, who is to say that Isobel won't go after Elena once I'm gone?_

"Oh God," came Damon's strangled voice as he sat upright in his seat.

"What, what?" urged Ric, moving closer to the desk.

Damon stood up and looked wildly to Alaric, bemused and panicked as to where to start. _Why the fuck didn't I think of that sooner? _He scalded to himself, horrified that his brain never registered with him that Isobel would be likely to enforce an attack on Elena. Why wouldn't she? Who better than Elena to question on his whereabouts if he mysteriously left? _I'm such a **fucking** idiot!_

"Damon what the Hell are you thinking about?" flared Alaric, almost going red in the face with anticipation.

"She'll go for her..."

"Isobel? Go for who?"

Damon slapped the side of Ric's head "who the fuck do you think, Ric?"

"Oh!" dawned Alaric, "Are you certain?"

"Positive" Damon stammered the moment several girls giggled their way into his classroom, oblivious to their hushed discussion. "Would you be willing to help us, Ric?"

Without hesitation, Alaric replied "yes."

Damon smiled and felt the first glimmer of hope rise in his chest.

He could not hide it from her. Elena had to know.

"Then I need you to help me and 'you know who' escape Mystic Falls..."

* * *

><p><strong><span>ELENA'S POV<span>**

Elena was at the most comfortable she'd been in the last week or so. She was sat in her bedroom with her best friends Bonnie and Caroline, crossed-legged in a circle on the floor, wrapping Christmas presents to their loved ones. Elena felt a warm and humble sensation melt in her body at the sound of Bing Crosby's 'White Christmas' croon through her iPod dock. It amazed her that she could still feel this way, even though she was wrapping two less presents this year to put under the tree. Like the emotional sensor she is, Bonnie's hand gave Elena's arm a supportive squeeze.

"Thank you" Elena mouthed. Bonnie winked as she snipped off some tape with her scissors.

"I totally suck at wrapping and giving gifts. Getting them is SO much better" giggled Caroline. It would seem that the girl had long since forgotten the note drama that circulated around the school about Elena. It was at times like these that Elena loved Caroline for having the memory of a lonely goldfish. Elena grinned at her amusing thought as she neatly folded wrapping paper around a computer game she'd purchased for Jeremy.

She never bothered to ask why Caroline's loyalties had changed. It seemed Caroline at one point was close to cutting her off all together, she was far too proud to hang out with a friend who was at the centre of such shocking and popularity crippling circumstances. But maybe she'd seen an error in her ways and opted to support her friend, a first for Caroline Forbes. Bonnie swore to Elena that she hadn't said a word about Damon to her. Elena believed her with every fiber of her being.

"So have you gotten Matt or Tyler anything for Christmas?" Bonnie asked while neatly tying a big red bow on a parcel.

"Pfft, they're both on the fucking naughty list and getting a lump of coal each."

Laughter erupted around the room as Elena felt her cell buzz next to her on the carpet. Panic pounded through her to see Stefan calling.

She answered.

"Hello?"

"..." he hung up.

"Who was that?"

"Um an unknown number. Probably people still prank calling me about recent events."

Elena and Bonnie eyed up Caroline, making a point of how she briefly slipped into a crowd of such people. Caroline beamed an apologetic smile that Elena accepted.

Then her phone vibrated again.

"Hello?" she spat angrily, almost growling with rage as Stefan hung up again.

"Who _is _that?" Caroline huffed with her hands on her hips, "next time they call Elena just pass your phone to me, i'll tell them where to go."

And on cue, the phone buzzed in Elena's hand.

Caroline swiped it away.

"No!"

"Stefan whaddya want? Are you prank calling Elena? We're trying to have valuable girl time..."

Elena watched, wide eyed as Caroline listened to Stefan's distant voice down the receiver. A small frown etched on her perfect eyebrows. Elena looked at Bonnie, who looked equally as horrified.

"Fuck off Stefan," spat Caroline as she hung up.

"What did he say?"

"Ugh he was just reeling off a load of bullshit; saying Salvatore is_ 'gonna get it'_ at the dance. What a total prick, right? Seriously, you would think Stefan would grow the fuck up!"

"Really? Stefan said that?" questioned Bonnie disbelievingly.

"Yeah! Gah- he's just so pathetic!"

_The less you know about this, Elena, the better._

_We were interrupted._

_It was no one_

_So it was someone?_

And there... right there... it all fell into place.

Damon said Isobel was far more threatening than usual last night. Someone interrupted them while... while the two were doing things. Isobel leaves and then Damon says he's leaving the night of the dance whether he has leverage over Isobel or not. An overwhelming fear bled through Elena's body.

"Elena are you alright?" gasped Caroline, clambering over the presents to sit next to her, "I'm sure what Stefan said isn't true. He doesn't have a bad bone in his-"

"But he attacked Da- Mr Salvatore in class didn't he?" Elena gawped at Caroline, then swishing her hair over to Bonnie, "didn't he?"

Bonnie and Caroline gave each other knowing looks. Stefan's reaction to Damon was so uncharacteristically violent and no one saw it coming. It sounded like he was ready to finish Damon off. Who is to say he wouldn't do it again this time? And with Isobel planting seeds, who knows what awful plans are shooting up in Stefan's mind. Isobel had everything in place and everyone cornered.

The only thing left to do, was indeed, for Damon to run.

"Elena I'm sure everything will be alright," Bonnie said, then jumping as her own phone began to ring.

The look on her friends face told Elena that it was Damon. Bonnie shot her dark eyes up to Elena, who nodded in confirmation for Bonnie to take the call. Casually, Bonnie stepped up from the floor and answered the call,

"Hey dad, what's up?" Bonnie cupped her hand to the phone and looked down at her friends, "Grams has gotten into the liquor cabinet again, i'll be five minutes."

"Sure thing sweetie," cooed Caroline.

Elena smirked up at Bonnie, loving how well played that lie was.

It felt like forever that Elena was listening to Caroline reel off why Stefan would be too chicken shit to actually hurt Mr Salvatore. Stefan didn't hurt anyone. He was too busy playing the love-sick victim anyway. Some of the things Caroline came out with would genuinely make Elena smile, perhaps even chuckle. But most of what she was churning out made her own stomach churn violently.

She just wanted to be with Damon. She wanted him in her arms and in her sight all the time. That way she would know he was safe. Always.

Bonnie emerged a few minutes later with a humoured look on her pretty face.

"Grams is crazy. I just told my dad to put the woman in a home already!"

"You didn't!" Caroline laughed, clapping her hands at the hilarity of it all.

Elena found it hard to even crack a smile. She was _desperate _to know what Bonnie had discussed with Damon. It was another agonizing forty-minute wait until Caroline finally decided to call it a night on the gift wrapping. She smothered Elena with hugs and kisses, making sure that she promised to have a definite decision on what she was wearing to the dance by tomorrow morning. Once she was gone, Elena stormed back up to her room, almost falling flat on her face up the stairs.

Barging into her room, Elena frowned to find Bonnie rifling through her wardrobe. Elena rolled her eyes tiredly.

"Bonnie if you think I'm dress hunting for the dance, you can think again. Now what did Damon say on the-"

Bonnie emerged from the closet with Elena's old duffle that she used for her cheerleading outfit with a sad and worn out look on her face.

"You're to have a bag packed. Damon says to leave it with Alaric tomorrow morning."

"Huh?" was all that Elena could muster as Bonnie zipped open the bag.

"If anyone asks, it's old clothes for people to wear while decorating the gym for the dance" said Bonnie, roboticly reeling off a list that Damon must have fired down to her over the phone as she dumped the bag on the bed.

"I..."

"Alaric will have your stuff ready and waiting in his car once the dance is over. Along with Damon's..."

Elena walked across to Bonnie, placing her hands on hers as Bonnie almost began to weep. Bonnie gripped Elena's hands back and smiled through her grimaced face.

"So Isobel _does_ plan to end it all" Elena stated hauntingly "and she's using Stefan to do it for her."

"It seems that way, hun," sobbed Bonnie. "And I believe Mr Salvatore when he says it's not safe for you to stay here."

Elena felt a tremor of fear throttle her heart. So this is what it has come to - running away. It was bad enough with just Damon fleeing. But with Elena going with him, he would be in twice as much trouble if they were caught. But at what cost when Elena was starting to fear for their lives? Isobel was a psycho bitch and Stefan... well he was just a complete surprise. They would not get the better of them. They could not succeed in ruining her life with Damon Salvatore.

But as Elena stared down at her tired looking duffle, which could probably only pack a couple of pair of jeans, tops and basic toiletries, she felt a wild surge of excitement pass through her like lightening at the thought of hitting the highway with Damon and never looking back.

If she was being honest with herself, apart from Bonnie, what else was there to miss in Mystic Falls?

Like she had just seen the light, Elena grinned from ear to ear at Bonnie as she floated across to her closet.

"Help me figure out what to take Bonnie. That duffle can only hold so many pairs of stockings and suspenders!"

* * *

><p><strong>3 DAYS LATER...<strong>

**FRIDAY. DECEMBER 16TH. 09:25**

**DAMON'S POV**

"... So there's the plan that I expect to be in perfect order for the duration of the evening. Does anyone have any questions?"

Silence blanketed the stuffy room as John Gilbert reeled off his overly-extensive list of protocalls for the school dance that evening. People looked back and forth between each other, no one saying a word. It would be pretty pointless to question John's ideas as they were always far superior.

Damon stared into space, his piercing blue eyes fixed on the water cooler that stared back at him while he chewed the end of his pencil. He didn't notice Ric glancing over to him occasionally with a concerned look.

"Sorry Damon, am I boring you?" announced John, standing tall with his hands on his hips.

Damon rolled his eyes over to John and sat up a little straighter in his seat.

"Not at all, John. I find it enthralling that you feel the need to remind us of fire safety three times over. If the tree lights explode we'll be sure to make the kids stop, drop and roll."

A whisper of giggles flurried around the room. John remained stern.

"You may be _leaving_ us after today Salvatore, but I still expect you to know your place around here."

Several pairs of eyes stared wide eyed with surprise at Damon.

While Damon seethed with rage at John.

_You fucking dick..._

"That information was confidential, John. You _knew_ that." Damon said through clenched teeth. He was fucked now. Everyone around the table had exploded into questioning of this unexpected news despite recent events.

A ghost of a smirk curled at John's lips.

"It will be such a shame to see you go, Damon..."

"I had an inkling you were leaving..."

"So what's the plan?"

"Where are you going?"

"Oh i'm sure it won't be far, he and Isobel can barely keep apart, isn't that right Damon?"

Questions, questions and more questions, Damon felt like his head was about to explode.

"Excuse me," he announced to the room, scraping back his chair and storming out, slamming the door with such ferocity that the walls shook. The dick, the absolute dick. That was no slip of the tongue, he said that shit deliberately. Damon told his subconscious to not even bother wondering if John was a member the Isobel-Stefan fanclub. It was too late to start ripping out his hair about that.

Damon slammed his classroom door shut, welcoming the silence and emptiness for a few moments, but then feeling anxious again that someone could be watching him. There had been no word from Isobel. Her threat very much loomed over his head like a thunderous black cloud. Stefan had not turned up for any of his classes since their encounter on Monday. Word was he was ill. Damon scoffed at the weak excuse.

Alaric soon entered his room without knocking.

"Plan for tonight still on?" he rushed.

Damon clenched his jaw, trying to keep his sanity together.

"It is. We don't have time to alter it." Damon said with an air of defeat. Obviously Isobel would walk through those doors to a stampede of women cooing her over his departure of Mystic Falls High. That knowledge would make her snap straight away, he knew that. "I gotta tell you Ric, I'm beginning to think more and more that I'm a dead man walking."

The fact Alaric didn't laugh or make any attempt of a joke made Damon twice as sure that he wasn't far off the mark with his last statement. Idly he looked at the clock, glaring at the hands that ticked towards 10am.

"I got your back, bud" Alaric assured him moments later.

"Just make sure Elena is safe. I can handle myself."

"Alright" Alaric said quietly.

Damon turned to face his friend, his eyes and face set in stone. "Do not allow Elena out of your sight and don't allow her to follow me under any circumstances. If Isobel is planning something then I need to get her as far away from Elena as possible."

"And what about Stefan?"

Damon paused, then sighed, laughing in the face of adversity.

"We can't exactly stop that lovesick idiot from attending his own school dance can we. We'll just have to hope he'll back out of any ideas that Isobels' planned for him."

"S'a pretty big risk, Damon," murmered Alaric, his brow wrinkled with uncertainty. Damon nodded, convulsing the dry lumps that had formed in his parched throat. With out looking Ric in the eye, Damon stepped over, clapped a firm hand on Ric's shoulder and said,

"But we have no choice but to take it."

He slipped his hand away from his shoulder and proceeded to leave his room. Alaric did not follow him this time.

Absent-minded and admittedly terrified, Damon wandered across to the gymnasium where the dance was being held later that day. He stared up at the familiar block, ignoring the icy winter wind that pinched at his lips and blew wildly through his inky black hair. Who knows what was going to go down in there in a few hours time. He hoped nothing obviously. That all this fear and panic was just a little game for Isobel. But deep down, as Damon entered the warm building, he knew that it was not an empty threat.

And as Damon entered the basketball court where several students were running around hanging up Christmas decorations and setting out the buffet tables, he received a text message from none other than Isobel herself.

_Save the last dance for me tonight, baby?_

_I can't wait._

_Merry Christmas x_

* * *

><p><strong>17:30<strong>

**Elena's pov**

"Urgh! I wish I hadn't chosen to wear green now, I look like The Grinch!" screeched Caroline. Stomping her feet over to Elena's full length mirror and deeply scrutinizing herself.

"Care you look amazing. Green is your colour as we all know" Elena stated, sitting up as straight while Bonnie pinned the final locks of her hair into place.

"Are the flashing earrings too much?" asked Caroline, brushing off Elena's compliment and turning around to face them while pointing at her ears. Each one had a tiny dangling Christmas Tree, the baubles lighting up in different colours. Elena and Bonnie couldn't help but giggle.

"They're fine," assured Bonnie.

"But you're laughing!" said Caroline, though breaking into laughter herself.

"They're cute. Now stop moaning" Elena said, though inside she wanted Caroline to continue her usual tantrums and freak outs. Silently she knew this would be the last time they would be together like this for a while.

That was if tonight went to plan of course.

Uncertainly clenched at her stomach.

"There!" announced Bonnie, finishing with Elena's hair. "I gotta say, I'm pretty impressed with myself."

"Aw Elena, you look amazing!" gushed Caroline with a grin from ear to ear.

Elena slowly stood up in her Grecian style dress. The ivory colour suiting her skin tone perfectly. She was glowing it seemed as she stared at herself in the mirror. Her hair twirled into a loose updo, with soft tendrils brushing her neck and back. Hats off to Bonnie, Elena knew she would never have been able to achieve the look by herself. As Caroline always said, Elena was pretty useless when it came to fashion.

A soft knock came from Elena's bedroom door and Aunt Jenna poked her head around the corner. She rattled the camera in her hand with a large, cheesy smile on her face.

"Kodak time!"

"Ooh Elena in the middle, we don't want my dress to clash with Bonnie's" Caroline stated in a military fashion. Elena giggled as she ordered them into place. Typical Caroline.

"Okay you ready?"

Jenna positioned the camera and the girls smiled. Elena was going to miss this.

"Cheese!"

"Cheeeeeeeessseee!"

The camera flashed, momentarily blinding Elena but Caroline had already snatched the device from Jenna's hands to look.

"Aw we all look so cute!"

Elena managed to a quick glimpse and it was indeed a beautiful picture of them. Tears threatened as she knew she wouldn't be around when it came to processing the photo.

"Flash too much?" asked Bonnie.

Elena quickly blinked away the tears that stung for release.

"Yeah... something like that."

They shared a knowing look. Elena wished she hadn't said anything as Bonnie's bottom lip began to tremble. Elena rubbed her arm affectionately. If it weren't for Bonnie who knows what kind of mess she would be in now.

"Are you girls ready to go?" Jenna asked.

"Yeah, we'll be five minutes" Elena said, quickly grabbing her clutch and slipping on her matching ivory shoes.

The three girls trooped downstairs and into the car where Jenna was waiting for them. As Elena slammed the door shut with a heavy 'thunk' she looked up at her house. The house with so many wonderful and awful memories. When would she be back here? She never even thought until now. Her room was a state and idly she thought about how annoyed Jenna would be about that. She didn't have time to mull over anything as Jenna rolled away from the sidewalk and onwards to Mystic Falls High.

Elena glanced across to Jenna who smiled back at Bonnie and Caroline who were laughing away at goodness knows what. Probably something to do with last years Christmas Party where they and a few other girls dressed up as Santa's reindeer. It was so much fun and they were all the centre of attention. Elena's tummy clenched again, though this time with fear. The attention she would get tonight would be far worse. She and Damon would be in the same room and no doubt a few people will bring that to light. They hadn't been seen together for weeks since she was in his class, playing the normal regular student, Damon the normal regular teacher, playing out another day at a normal regular high school.

Nothing would be normal about tonight.

Elena was terrified of what Isobel would bring.

And then there was Stefan.

"Are you feeling alright honey?" asked Jenna, reaching across to clasp Elena's hand.

"I'm fine," Elena lied, returning Jenna's humbling smile, "just scared i'll trip over this dress."

"I'm sure you'll be fine. You're gonna rock it."

Moments later they were pulling into the _heaving _parking lot. It was like they were going to a festival or rock concert, it was insane! Just people, cars and all things Christmassy everywhere. Caroline was practically bouncing with excitement in the back of the car.

"I see Matt!" she pointed. Sure enough, Matt was hanging around by his car with the football team, probably waiting for the last of them to arrive before going in.

Stefan was no where to be seen.

"Okay girls, take care of yourselves" announced Jenna as she put the car into park.

"We will!" yelled Caroline, itching to get out of the car and commense the party.

"Thanks for the ride Jenna"

"Not a problem, Bonnie, have a great time."

And as Bonnie left the car, Elena knew this was goodbye... until who knows when.

"So you'll be home for eleven-thirty right?"

"Yeah we have our cab booked" Elena said, feeling her throat closing up, her voice becoming heavy. _Don't cry, don't cry!_

"Are you worried people will make comments? Y'know about the whole..." Elena watched her Aunt struggle for the appropriate words "... the whole English Teacher thing?"

"I... I suppose I am. But i'm sure i'll be fine. I won't let them spoil my evening."

"Good girl" Jenna said, pulling her niece into a large hug.

Elena hugged her Aunt tight, inhaling the floral-like scent of her red hair, wishing she could have told her what she was doing. The guilt was horrible. She was leaving without a real goodbye and with no word of where she would be going. She just hoped Jenna and Jeremy would forgive her when it came to coming home again.

"Have a wonderful night, honey" Jenna said, cupping Elena's cheeks and planting a large smooch on her lips.

Elena squirmed, giggled and pushing herself away with a belly laugh.

"I'll get you for that later."

"Yeah, yeah. See you later!"

Elena closed the door and before she could think about anything, Bonnie was at her side to distract her.

"There's Damon," she whispered.

Oh... the best distraction.

Elena look up towards the school entrance... and there he was.

Her Damon.

A cold bluster of December wind blew them towards the school, they mingled with the large crowds who were all desperate to be inside where the base was beating out some cheesy pop. Caroline suddenly tripped into a Elena with laughter, sandwiching her between her friends, making her feel safe.

"They have a snow machine!" she said the moment it was turned on. Flurries of fake snow came wisping through the air to the delight of the crowds.

"Jeez can you imagine if it were real snow, these guys would be going ape shit," comment Bonnie.

Elena through her head back with a welcoming belly laugh. Her carefree laughter and nature in that moment did not go unnoticed by a certain pair of ice, blue eyes that subtly watched her only a few feet away.

Elena looked across to see him ever more closer. Her giggles surrendered to a loving smile. In a nano-second it was returned before he looked away to speak to Mr Saltzman next to him. He looked so calm and collected as always. Alaric said something to make him laugh and it was always rare to see Damon that way with other people. Elena was surprised with him and herself. Surely tonight of all nights they were meant to be at their wits end. Surely they should be on edge, glancing at everyone as if they're an enemy, not daring to meet one anothers stare.

But as her lover greeted her into the building, unashamed by the onlookers who whispered as he stated a simple "good evening, Miss Gilbert" maybe they were both behaving this way because after tonight, none of this would matter anymore.

It would all be in the past.

"Mr Salvatore," she nodded innocently, entering the building to find an audience watching them with sordid looks.

Without Bonnie for support, without staring down at the floor, Elena breezed through the crowds with her head held high and a dazzling smile.

Tonight was the night everything changed for the better. She was certain of it. 

* * *

><p><em>Okaaaaay I'm pretty mean for leaving it there, but I promise to punch out the next chapter asap. I haven't a clue how long it will be as a lot is about to kick off... we'll just have to wait and see how it pans out.<em>

_Thank you for reading and I look forward to your reviews!_

_Anna x_


	31. Chapter 31

_Hello Delena fans!_

_It's been a ridiculously long time since I lasted updated Love Lessons and for that I am sorry. With a mixture of work, family and the male species not exactly treating me well in the last few months I lost my heart in writing. However things are looking up and I've been desperate to get this chapter out for about a month now!_

_Considering I have been MIA for a while, I don't expect many reviews, if any at all. However I am going to see this fanfic through to the end so I can begin a new one. To those who chose to read on, I hope you enjoy this next installment._

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><p><span>ELENA'S POV<span>

A hand grabbed Elena's shoulder,

"Lets get some punch!" beamed Caroline, dragging Elena across the dance floor before she barely had time to register how much of a Winter Wonderland the gym looked. It was incredible how much work people had put in. Snow, glitter, stars and all things festive were twinkling from every possible angle. It was beautiful... if a little over the top for Elena's taste.

Poor Anna from the grade below was lumbered with punch duty, keeping a close eye to make sure no one spiked it. No one ever succeeded on Punch Watch. Caroline became carried away with idle chit-chat with her while Elena stood behind her silently, trying to gather her bearings. _Hang on... where's Bonnie? _Elena turned to be momentarily freaked out at the sight of Mr Saltzman's chest bumping into her.

"Oops, sorry Mr Saltzman!" she said, feeling herself become flustered at such close contact. He chuckled it off,

"No worries Elena. Are you enjoying the party?" he asked. Wow... he was so calm! The feeling was catching.

"So far so good," Elena nodded, seeing the warm twinkle in his eyes. A look that said 'you'll be fine.' Feeling calmed by this connection, Elena loosened up and noticed what Alaric was wearing. "Nice reindeer jumper, sir. Were you inspired by Mr Darcy in Bridget Jones?"

Alaric looked down at his fuzzy and painfully humiliating red jumper with an overly smiley reindeer on the front. He was clearly wearing it with pride. Caroline turned around and burst into giggles.

"What is _that _you're wearing?" she squealed.

"Says the girl wearing flashy christmas tree earrings," joked Alaric.

As she giggled away, Elena took the opportunity to ghost her eyes across the room. It was so busy. All she wanted was one glimpse of Damon. Just one.

"Well if you don't appreciate my earrings I'll take them elsewhere. C'mon 'Lena!"

Caroline passed Elena her drink and quickly swayed her way through the crowds. Elena hurriedly spoke to Alaric while she had the chance.

"Any sign?"

"Nope. Neither of them."

Dread choked at Elena's throat, but then a weird sense of relief came over her too - maybe Isobel _was_ just putting the frighteners on them after all...

"Go and find your friends before you lose them for the rest of the night," Ric suggested, a stern look crossing his usually gentle features. He was telling her to go where she would be safe. Losing Bonnie and Caroline would be the worse move in this situation.

"I will. Merry Christmas Mr Saltzman," she said with a shy smile.

"You too Elena," he said, raising his drink to her as she quickly made her way through the crowds of talking and dancing people, hoping to see Caroline's beaming blond hair amongst them.

Suddenly she was tugged backwards by her dress, "Damn it," she growled through clenched teeth as someone's stiletto snagged on her delicate gown. She looked down to gather the soft material up in her hands. When she looked back up, she bolted to the spot with panic as she stared into hard, green eyes.

"Nice dress," Stefan said, a funny smirk creeping on his face.

"I thought you were 'ill'" Elena spat back, feeling him somewhat tower over her, even though she was pretty much eye level with him in her shoes. She wanted to look around for help. For Damon to see that the enemy had landed but she was scared of giving herself away. She had no idea how much Stefan knew. So it was best to play it cool.

"I suddenly felt a lot better," Stefan replied with a lazy shrug.

And as though it were a cliche movie moment, the bright lights dimmed, altering into a dark, atmospheric purple shade across the room as the music slowed. Elena glanced to Stefan who was holding his hands out in gesture for her to take them. This time last year he would be have been a genuine gentleman. Elena could hardly believe, as she took Stefan's waiting hand, that she could have become so afraid of him.

She felt the base of the music shudder through her bones as Stefan twirled her towards his body. She went with it, though felt her body become rigid as he squeezed her flush to his chest. She was desperate to ask him what he was planning on doing. What Isobel was planning on doing. What God given right did he have to destroy her life and Damon's in such a sly and vindictive manner? She thought all this while his stare penetrated her. It was almost as if he was trying to suss out her very private thoughts.

"You're quiet, Elena" he said, his voice rumbling through his throat. "Normally you would have pushed me away for getting so close. Why so comfortable now?"

Elena rolled her eyes, instantly regretting it with the anger she saw in return.

"You're over thinking things Stefan."

"Really? And here's me thinking you're being so nice to me in hope i'll leave poor Mr Salvatore alone... silly me indeed."

"You ought to be ashamed of yourself for what you did to him on Monday," Elena shook, suddenly feeling so angry as he pulled her even closer to his body.

"I'm just annoyed that I didn't try hard enough to gouge his eyes out for so much as setting his eyes on you" he growled, his lips mere inches away from hers.

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><p><span>DAMON'S POV<span>

As the last of the crowds wandered in, Damon couldn't wait to get inside himself. Not only because he was freezing his balls off, but because he wanted to know he was in the same room as Elena and that she was safe from harm.

Still no guest appearance from Isobel.

That Stefan kid wasn't anywhere in sight either.

So far so good.

Damon cupped his hands to his mouth and blew hot air into them in a feign attempt to warm them up. His fingers were almost blue. It'd be a pretty shit start to their life as runaways if he were sick to the eyeballs with flu.

Damn that surge of excitement never faltered as he imagined leaving this shitty town behind to be with Elena. They just had to get through the next couple of hours and they were on a home run. Just two more hours...

Rounding the corner towards the room where the music blared out a slow, rhythmic tune, Damon almost bumped into John Gilbert who was heading his way.

To talk or not to talk.

The two maintained eye-contact until they were a few steps apart. John faltered first and blinked away, glancing straight ahead.

"Salvatore" he stated.

Damon nodded and left it as that as Jonathan continued to walk down the empty hallway.

Shaking off those nerves that had tingled his senses, Damon threw open the doors to the gym, smoothing down his metallic grey shirt as he noticed the array of couples swaying on the dance floor. His cobalt blue eyes scanned across the dancers looking for Elena...

"Oh shit" he choked.

He took two furious steps forward and then held back. He couldn't just storm over and drag Stefan away from her. Christ the alarm bells _that _would ring. He was seething with rage as he could see Elena squirming under the boys touch. Where the _**fuck**_ were her friends?

And bingo, Bonnie came wandering over with a frown on her face.

"Dance floor. Look" Damon spat angrily.

Bonnie was shocked by his outburst and Damon could almost throttle her he was that desperate for Elena to be taken away from that boy. No sooner had Bonnie's bright eyes touchdown on Elena and she was on that crowd like a rash.

_Okay she's safe... panic over._

"Hey baby..."

Oh... now that voice was painfully familiar.

Damon turned around, making doubly sure that he was treating Isobel Flemming to one of his death glares that would have most people cowering.

And there she was. Dressed in black. A cool, confident look in her eyes as she stepped forward to snatched her hand out to grasp the nape of his neck, dragging herself to his lips in a one-way kiss, not caring for the small audience they had captured the attention of.

She bit his lip hard until she drew blood, pulling away so Damon could see her lick it from her lips. He wanted to spit the remnants of it into her face as she laughed.

"We're going to have so much fun tonight, Damon."

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><p><span>ELENA'S POV<span>

"You don't know what you're talking about Stefan. Now let. Me. _Go!"_

Elena shrugged against Stefan's hold but he kept her flush against him, squeezing her fingers until her knuckles popped from the pressure. She wanted to cry out at the claustrophobia. She wanted Damon to find her and just take her away.

She gasped as Stefan's hand grasped her chin, forcing her to look him in the eye. She cringed as his thumb brushed her dusky bottom lip affectionately.

"Stefan" she whimpered as he grasped her chin so tight it began to ache her jaw. He looked so desperately sad as raw emotion blazed from his eyes.

"I'll save you from him. I know what he's doing to you. Miss Flemming told me...I..." Tears brimmed in his pained eyes as he brushed his thumb back and forth across her lip, smudging the gloss as she mumbled for him to back off. "I can't bare the thought of him..."

"Stefan what are you doing?" shrilled Bonnie as she pushed him away. His hand was latched so tight onto Elena's chin that his fingernails cut her skin. She gasped at the stinging pain as Stefan stumbled backwards into the crowds.

"Watch it man!" shouted some guy that he bumped into. Stefan muttered his apologies as he flashed his eyes across the room.

Elena curled into Bonnie's open arm while her friend glared over at Stefan, who suddenly lost interest in them. He was distracted by something across the room.

"Stefan what the hell's gotten into you?" Bonnie snapped, cradling Elena who cupped her scratched chin.

She blinked from Bonnie's protective hold to find Stefan disappearing into the crowds. This concerned her.

"Where'd he go?" she panicked, standing up straight and out of Bonnie's arms to look through the crowds.

As she went to follow an upbeat, rock number, Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' to be exact, came blaring through the speakers. She and Bonnie were suddenly tackled into a mediocre mosh pit as people began diving around like maniacs on the dance floor. They would never get out now. She idly thought amidst the madness _this isn't a Christmassy song at all!_ The crowds were getting busier and hotter, and Elena felt as though she were being tossed around like a doll. All the while she knew she needed to get out of there to find Damon. She knew he was in trouble.

"Bonnie!" she yelled, feeling herself being pushed and shoved further away from her friend. "Bonnie, where are you! ?"

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><p><span>DAMON'S POV<span>

"I'm not in the mood for fun tonight, Iz. But thanks for asking" Damon said, flashing his lop-sided smirk before looking away to the dance floor that was now going insane. _Fuck, where's Elena?_

He stepped forward to get a better look but Isobel's hand latched onto his arm with a warning grip. Damon glared at her as she opened her mouth to speak. The venom and loathing in her face suddenly evaporated as a group of teachers, all women from their faculty, came wandering over. Damon cursed under his breath. He did _not _need this.

"Isobel you made it!"

Damon went to make his move but Isobel slipped her arm around his waist as she laughed heartily at her colleagues.

"I did indeed, I wouldn't want to miss tonight for the world," she gushed, resting her head of dark, curled hair on Damon's chest.

"Oh I'm sure, especially with it being Damon's first and _only_ Christmas Party."

Damon moved to drag Isobel away but it was too late. It was out. She stayed firm, a frighteningly normal look etched on her face. She looked... odd.

"We can't believe Damon is leaving, you must be so upset" pouted Trudy.

Isobel nails dug into Damon's hand. She was angry.

He tried to keep the overly pleasant smile on his face as the girls circled them with sympathetic smiles amid the blaring rock music behind them.

"Would you excuse us?" Isobel clipped.

Now Damon allowed himself to panic inside.

He followed her like a lost sheep as she pulled him into an unoccupied corner. He was preparing himself for the lecture. For the warning. For the usual shit. But nothing, absolutely nothing prepared him for the knife she slipped out of her dress pocket to press against his abdomen. Damon felt his breath hitch as he stared down from the small weapon to her smiling face. As the blade pressed against his shirt to the point where he could feel the blade scratching his skin, Damon actually pushed himself closer to it, so close that his nose touched hers.

"Go on. I fucking _dare_ you you raving, mad bitch." he growled.

"Did you see Stefan with your girl?" Isobel crooned in her husky voice. "Did you see them leave the dance floor together?"

"You're lying."

"I'm not saying it was on her terms Damon. But they left and poor little Stefan is devastated at the news that you're manipulating her into your bed. He's ready to finish you off and what better way than to leer Elena away from her friends... from you..."

"I don't believe you."

Damon winced as the knife cut into his shirt and pierced his flesh slightly. Although he wore the face of an incredibly angered and volatile man, he was frightened and confused in his head. He could not take risks with Elena. If Stefan had her, then he couldn't assume to think she was safe. He saw the way that little prick held her on the dancefloor. _Fuck, fuck, fuck..._

"Fine." Isobel said. "Then once i've finished you, i'll finish her off, telling her you could have had the opportunity to save her. What a perfect Christmas that would be" Isobel sneered, stroking her free hand up his firm torso to his cheek.

"I swear if he's harmed a single hair on her head-"

"Follow me, Damon" she said, sliding her knife out of view as she walked towards the side exit, looking back to see he was following and that no one else had seen them.

And for fear of Elena's well being, Damon followed.

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><p><span>ELENA'S POV<span>

Bonnie grasped onto Elena's hand and the girls wasted no time in scurrying for the sidelines of the dance floor. It was crazy in there!

"I thought we'd never get out" huffed Bonnie, trying to regain her breath.

Elena breathed deeply as she brushed her fingers to her chin. Watery blood smudged her finger tips. Stefan was not the boy she once knew. Isobel had gotten into his head. Elena pitied him more than she hated him.

"Can you see Damon?" Elena asked Bonnie. He was still no where to be seen. Surely everyone had arrived at the dance by now and he should be indoors watching her, sharing secret smiles, leaving together in a few hours time. That was meant to be happening... but it wasn't.

Elena twirled around several times, glancing everywhere she could to find him. Bonnie was doing the same. A horrible feeling quivered in Elena's stomach. He should _be _here.

"Oh my God guys, I'm surprised you made it out of there alive!" yelled Caroline over the music. She turned to Elena and stared with horror, "Shit, what happened to your face!?"

"I'm fine, Care" Elena said, keeping Caroline at arms length. "Just some idiot caught my face."

"Well speaking of idiots I just saw Stefan barge outta the dance, he almost knocked me clean to the floor."

Both Elena and Bonnie jumped Caroline with their sudden pang of attention.

"Stefan?"

"Where'd he go?"

Caroline stuttered, "I dunno! He just left!"

"Which way?" Elena pushed, hoping that in Stefan leaving it may shed some light on Damon's absence. She was bordering on desperate now. She kept glancing around hoping he would just pop up... but he wasn't anywhere. She wanted to cry. _Why isn't this night sticking to the basics? Why!_

"Um..." Caroline bit her lip, rotated in her peep toe shoes and pointed to the far end of the gymnasium that was dashed with glittery stars hanging from above. "That way! He went that way!"

Elena narrowed her eyes and tried to identify which exit that was. It wasn't a main door way, it was more to the side, it headed in the direction of the languages and... and the English Department.

Wide eyed with fear, Elena shared a knowing look with Bonnie.

"I have to go and-"

"No" Bonnie stammered, stepping forward to hold Elena back. Elena noticed Caroline watching the exchange, completely oblivious as to what was going on. "I'll go Elena. It's not safe for you."

"Not safe? Stefan?" scoffed Caroline sarcastically, "Steffy is a pussy cat, he's just being an asshole."

"Bonnie I have to find him," Elena shook, feeling her bottom lip quiver. "I can't just-"

"Everything will be fine," Bonnie said with a bright smile. For once throughout this whole ordeal, Elena didn't believe in Bonnie's reassurance.

"Okay, what aren't you guys telling me?" whined Caroline with a dramatic eye roll and hands-on-hips stance.

Elena watched Bonnie somewhat breeze through the crowds to the direction Stefan apparently left in. _Please come back safe... both of you._

"Are you done with ignoring me yet?"

Elena zoned in on Caroline who looked genuinely hurt. She _was_ pushed out, but with good reason. Caroline could be the Queen of gossip when she wanted to be and Elena just couldn't bring herself to trust Caroline enough to keep her secret, even at this late stage when all would be out in the open by midnight. Caroline never set out to hurt people's feelings but she somehow always managed to do so. She was a bit naive and self-centered, but that was just Caroline. Elena smiled an apology.

"It doesn't matter. Not just yet," Elena said.

"But it does, Elena" replied Caroline, taking ahold of her friends hands. "Especially when I think it has something to do with you and Mr Salvatore."

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><p><span>DAMON'S POV<span>

Their footsteps echoed down the dark, lonely hallway. Damon felt like he was walking the mile. Isobel continued to look back over her shoulder to see his was following, a less than sane smile creeping on her lips. It would be so easy to run in the opposite direction. She would never catch him. But if Elena was alone and in danger with Stefan he could never do that. He would walk into whatever danger came his way to save her.

He noticed them walk by Isobel's classroom. They were going down to his. They rounded that last corner and they were in sight of his room. It was dark inside with no sign of life, just like every other door they had walked by. _If she was lying about Elena in danger so help me..._

Isobel slowly opened the door. So quietly it didn't even creek and that goddamn door _always_ creaked. She stood at the entrance, allowing him to enter the room first. This unsettled him as he stared into her eyes, trying to suss whatever plan she had in place. She gave nothing away, she just cocked her head in gesture for him to go inside.

His stomach dropped with the possibilities that could be in store as he took one, two, three steps into his classroom. Was Elena hurt? Beaten? He was trembling with anger at the thought. His usually sharp eyesight was failing him as he couldn't adjust to the stuffy darkness that surrounded him. His heart beat was the only thing he could hear.

"Isobel?" he said, turning around as she slammed the door shut.

Stefan grabbed him from behind.

Damon quickly resisted the hold Stefan had around his shoulders and torso until the 'zing' of a blade cutting through the air stopped him in his attempts to escape.

The knife pressed against his throat, pressuring his Adam's Apple and tugging on his skin, causing paper cut-like marks to snag his flesh as he tugged on Stefan's arm. If he fell or lost footing the blade would become embedded into his throat, leaving him a dead man before he knew what was going on.

"What the fuck, Isobel!?" he growled, feeling the blade pushed harder with every word that rumbled through his throat. Stefan was pushing too hard. He could barely breath. "Where's Elena!?"

Terrified, Damon watched Isobel's silhouette move through the darkness. She moved slowly with a sway of her hips, taking all the time in the world as she wandered over to his desk. He tried to make out what she was doing, but he was barely able to manage Stefan whose hold stayed firm across his body. The kid was surprisingly tough. The blade pressed deeper to the point Damon was sure it would sink fully into his skin.

"I can barely breathe you moron!"

As he felt Stefan shift slightly, Isobel dropped something heavy onto his desk, making both himself and Stefan look over.

"Ease it up Stefan" Isobel said through the darkness.

The cool knife edged away from Damon's throat. He breathed deep for that precious oxygen.

"Where is Elena, you said this idiot had her" Damon demanded.

"Oh did I?" Isobel said. The sound of a cap being unscrewed from something scratched through the air. "I guess I lied" she said, before the sound of liquid being sloshed onto the desks and carpet filled the air.

Gasoline.

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><p><em>Hope you all enjoyed it! Next chapter is in the works!<em>

_And __once again, I apologize for the long overdue update. If anyone sticks by to review - thank you very much!_

_Anna xxx_


	32. Chapter 32

_Wha... what is this? I am actually updating less than 24 hours after the previous Chapter? This cannot be!_

_But it is my fellow Delena fans! Already, thank you SOOOOOO much for you kind and supportive reviews. They mean an awful lot. So much so I penned up this chapter last night and this morning as a big, whopping thank you. It's pretty dramatic, but hey, what's The Vampire Diaries without a little drama eh? I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope it shows. It's the big one..._

_Enjoy..._

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><p><span>DAMON'S POV<span>

Damon felt Stefan's hold slacken as they watched Isobel continue to gush large amounts of gasoline around the room. She told Stefan to keep him place while she exited the room for a minute or so and then she came back in to douse his classroom a second time over.

They were both speechless, which left Damon to wonder if Stefan was in on this particular part of Isobel's plan... judging by the shake in the kids' stance and his unsteady breathing, he had no idea that Isobel had planned on doing this little fireworks display.

Knowing that time was precious and most likely running out, Damon forced himself to speak.

"Why are you doing this Isobel?"

This made her stop, her body slightly bent over from chugging liquid around the room. Her face, although unclear through the darkness, stared directly at Damon. It freaked him out a little, but he knew he needed to continue. What did he have to loose in this situation?

"I mean... all of this just because I don't want to be with you? Fair enough you can hate me and be disgusted by my relationship with Elena, but you gotta admit that _this _is a little extreme."

He spoke calmly and carefully. The sarcasm and cocky attitude completely stripped away. He went to move forward but Stefan reminded him of the cold blade still wielded before his neck.

Isobel straightened her body and walked towards them. Even Stefan flinched behind Damon. It was, to say the least, a disturbing sight to see her dark figure stalk over to them until Damon could see the deranged look in her eyes. She was past the point of no return.

"You wanna know why? I'll _**fucking**_ tell you why..." she growled through clenched teeth, causing spit to hiss between them onto Damon's chin and lips. "All my life I have been let down by the likes of you, always treated second fucking best to the prettier, skinner girls that parade around like the sunshine glows from their assholes. I've given my heart, body and soul to men in the past but have been treated like shit on the bottom of their shoes in return. Used, abused and tossed aside like I'm worth nothing. But with you... Damon..." she reached up, passing the blade at his strained neck to stroke his face tenderly, "_you_ were special. I saw you and I knew you had to be mine. I wasn't going to let you go. Not for anything. I just _knew _we were meant to be." Her voice had turned into a faint whisper, enough to hear the distant sound of the dance continuing on through the night. Damon could see in her watery eyes a calmness take over. Maybe she was seeing sense?

"Isobel..." he started, but she cut him off.

"But then discovering you were fucking one of our students, a little girl, over the likes of a woman like me..." she looked down at herself then, judging her body and shaking her head sadly. "That was the final nail in the coffin to my self-esteem and belief in that you could love me as much as I loved you... and I can't let you get away with that Damon."

She then threw the last slug of gasoline over Damon, the liquid splashing deep into Damon's mouth and into Stefan's eyes behind him.

A taste so vile and indescribable erupted in Damon's mouth. Whether Stefan had released him, or because he'd doubled over to cough up the vile tasting liquid that sloshed into his mouth he didn't know. But he was subconsciously aware that he was free to move around, and so staggered away as much as he could before violently coughing and heaving once more.

"I-Iz..." he choked, clutching his throat, feeling his windpipe become somewhat restricted and his throat become painfully dry, leaving him unable to speak.

"This wasn't part of the plan!" yelled Stefan from somewhere in the room, sounding very much in pain himself. "Isobel what do we do now?"

"We?" came Isobel's voice, the struck with a chord of laughter afterwards. Damon turned to look over his shoulder to find Stefan cradling his right eye and Isobel standing a few feet away, savouring every moment before her. "_We _aren't going to do anything Sweetie. You've done your part, but I don't see much reason for you to walk out of this either."

The smell of gasoline was overpowering in the room by now. Isobel tossed the empty container into the corner of the room. Then silence, a terrible silence followed that Damon couldn't bear any longer.

It didn't require any noise when fumbling around in a dress pocket for a light.

"Wa-ait" Damon choked, leaning over a desk and reaching out to Isobel in a somewhat pleading manner. The burning in his throat and chest wasn't easing.

"You're acting crazy Isobel! Put the light down! I didn't know it was going to go this far!" bellowed Stefan, although to Damon it sounded like he was crying. Crying for his life.

As Damon attempted to negotiate one last time, he coughed up blood into the palm of his hand. It didn't particularly phase him. He focused on breathing, swallowing, Elena. Breathe, swallow, Elena. He coughed again and this time his damaged airways felt clearer. From his slumped angle on the desk he pushed himself into a standing position, looking forward with his bloodshot eyes to find Isobel, lighter in hand, flame flickering back and forth.

"At least this way I know you'll be with me forever Damon" said Isobel, her voice fragile and broken. Damon knew she had tears rolling down her face.

Then the door to the classroom opened...

All what followed seemed to occur in slow-motion before Damon's eyes. He couldn't recall trying to shout out Bonnie Bennett's name as she took in the dark sight before her. But he remembered trying to dive over the several rows of desks that blocked his path to Bonnie as she charged over to Isobel in a desperate attempt to tackle the lighter from her hands.

**"BONNIE! RUUUN!"**

Isobel slammed the young girls body into the wall and then dropped the naked flame to ground...

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><p><span>ELENA'S POV<span>

"Wow..." said Caroline, for once, lost for words. "That's just... wow."

Elena had somehow managed to condense her entire journey with Damon into a bitesize story than lasted only a few short minutes. Everything from their first encounter, Mr Saltzman's discovery at the log cabin, Isobel's black-mailing, her running away with Damon that very evening... Caroline knew it all and still hadn't formulated a proper sentence in response as she and Elena sat at a quiet table away from the madness of the party.

"Care please say something... anything" Elena said, grasping hold of Caroline's hands that were clasped in her lap.

Caroline sadly looked up to her friend, "I'm sorry you felt you couldn't tell me anything Elena," she said, almost tearfully, "I've behaved rottenly towards you. I'm a sucky best friend."

Elena laughed silently and brushed away one of Caroline's tears.

"I forgive you. And now you know... what do you think?"

"I think it's total madness, that you're insane, crazy and completely stupid... yet it's so horribly romantic how could I not support you?"

Elena instantly threw her arms around Caroline and they shared one of the most painfully squeezed yet elated hugs. Finally something positive had happened this evening. As Elena withdrew from Caroline's arms, she drew her thoughts back to her biggest concern.

The whereabouts of her boyfriend and best friend.

"What's taking them so long?" said Caroline, taking the words right out of Elena's mouth.

"I don't know, but whatever it is, I know it's not good" Elena said, feeling the deep rumble of fear burn in her stomach.

It had been at least twenty minutes since Bonnie had left them. Elena promised almost everyone that she would stay in the dance where she would remain safe. But she couldn't stay any longer, the wait was driving her mad. Before making her move, she and Caroline checked their phones. Elena had no calls and no messages. Neither had Caroline. So that was that, Elena kicked off her high heels, gathered her dress and wordlessly made her way to the exit Bonnie had left from.

"Are you sure you don't wanna stay and wait?" called out Caroline from behind her.

"I have to find them Care, I think something terrible may have-"

Elena gasped as her way out was blocked by Alaric. Reindeer jumper jokes all but forgotten.

"And where the Hell do you think you're going?" he said forcefully, folding his arms across his broad chest.

"They're in danger Ric, I know they are" Elena said, trying to move around him but Alaric blocked her path.

"I told Damon I would keep you in my sight."

"But do you have any idea where Damon is? Or Bonnie? Stefan? Or Isobel for that matter? Waiting around is doing no one any favours Ric. We _have _to go and find them!"

She stared up at her older friend pleadingly, seeing him conflicted from Damon's word over hers. Finally he stared hard into her eyes and sighed heavily over the thundering music.

"I'll get the car. Ten minutes."

"Thank you!" Elena said, wishing she could hug the man but all the while remembering where they were. Without checking if Caroline was following she darted to the fire exit, bursting through the door into the night to find the two people she cared about most in this world.

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><p><span>DAMON'S POV<span>

Flames. Heat. Smoke.

Damon knew he was still in classroom E6. And he knew needed to get the hell out of there. Fast.

Somehow rationality hit him like a train at full speed. He dropped to the ground, momentarily amazed that the carpet he was sprawled on hadn't been doused in gasoline and that he hadn't already burned to death. The rumble and roar of the flames were so loud he couldn't tell if he could hear screaming. He prayed to God that he couldn't as his painfully bloodshot eyes searched for survivors...

But surely it was a fluke that he was alive right now. Surely the place should have exploded? Or maybe he was dead. Was this some weird out of body experience?

A cry for help told him otherwise.

Damon crawled his way along the floor to the sound of screaming. The heat on his back was unbearable. He wanted to look, to see if his back was on fire but he didn't dare. He carried on to the screaming of fear. To the frightened wails that belonged to Stefan.

"STEFAN!" he cried, his throat convulsing with blistering pain but the adrenaline powered him through to call again as he reached out his arm to grab ahold of his student. "STEFAN!"

"I'm here!" A hand grabbed his and Damon wasted no time in dragging them back in the direction he came from.

Flames. Flames were everywhere and Damon could feel himself swaying in and out of consciousness, succumbing to the powerful inferno around them.

"No..." he growled, staring down hard at the carpet just inches from his eyes. He wasn't giving up. Not just yet. He squeezed Stefan's hand. The boy squeezed in return.

Through the onslaught of smoke Damon looked up, barely able to hold his gaze through the black smoke and singeing heat towards the red/orange flames that licked and snapped fiercely around the doorway.

"Stefan!" he coughed, trying to look back but the heat was too much everywhere. It was all becoming too much. A few more moments and they would surely die. In a nano-second he mourned the realization he did not have the time or strength to look for bonnie. Whether Stefan could hear or not, Damon shouted only once "Exit. Straight-forward. NOW!"

Damon released Stefan's hand. Staggered to his feet and burst his way through the flames into the hallway.

He was on fire.

Damon didn't know how long it lasted, but the next thing he knew he was on the floor. He rolled back and forth, back and forth. Then his hands pulled and tore away the shirt from his burning body. A world of darkness and a dizzying void followed until he was eventually being hoisted to his feet. Images faded in and out of his vision; the floor beneath his staggering footsteps, the flames growing around them, then the opening of a door. These images were paired with smells and sounds. The stench of fuel, the touch of long hair and the scent of sweet shampoo. The yelling behind him and the sound of a door slamming shut.

Then he was on the floor again, sliding bare back against a cabinet and panting desperately for air. Hot. So hot. Cool. Cold. A gentle soothing taste blanketed his throat. Milk?

He coughed with surprise and felt a steady hand on his shoulder.

"Drink Mr Salvatore," she said sternly.

Reality slowly came back to him. Slowly and painfully. Damon soon realized they were in the Faculty Lounge, hence how Bonnie Bonnett raided the refrigerator of it's milk supply to sooth his gasoline and smoke tainted throat and stomach. She must have seen him struggling to breath before Isobel set the place alight and put two and two together. Smart girl.

His weary eyes travelled over to Stefan who was sat opposite him, legs raised to his chest and elbows resting on his knees as he gasped for air. He watched Bonnie scurry over to him, checking to see if he was alright also.

Finally Damon felt as though he could begin to take charge once more. Poor Bonnie was in bits, her smoke and slightly blood stained body winced with shock and pain as she made Stefan drink some water from the cooler.

The cooler.

Damon got to his feet. A horrendous pain blitzed through his right leg and arm but he refused to stop and inspect the damage. If it was as bad as it felt, he knew he would crumble at the sight of it.

"Mr Salvatore what are you-"

"In this situation Bonnie," croaked Damon, his voice incredibly weak he noticed as he grabbed several items of clothing from the small cloakroom and proceeded to douse them with water from the cooler, "I think it's okay that you call me Damon."

"Okay Damon," she breathed, "what are you doing?"

"Putting these under the doorway" he explained, limping his way over to the door where smoke was slowly beginning to curl and wisp under the gap. A terrifying reminder that it was reaching their location. He stuffed the sopping wet material under the gap, but he still knew it was going to do very, very little to help.

He glanced down to his two students. Bonnie's shakes had subsided and Stefan's breathing seemed to have evened out. Damon glared down at the stupid boy by his feet, wanting to give him a good kick in the leg and to scream some sense into his head. The kid looked up at him, crying with fear and shame at knowing he was one to help cause all of this chaos.

"I'm sorry, " he sniveled, coughing up phlegm and snot bubbling at his nose, "Please, I'm so sorry."

"Quit your whining and get up to your feet," Damon spat. "Now."

"I... I can't" Stefan whimpered, squeezing his eyes closed and flopping his head back against the cabinet.

Damon reached down, grabbed the insolent little shit by the scruff of his neck and hauled him to his feet. He cried out in pain, but Damon didn't give a rats ass.

"Damon be careful!" sobbed Bonnie, the poor girl shaking once more.

"Be quiet," he told her, then looking back to Stefan whose eyeballs were bulging from their sockets. "Are you listening?"

Stefan frantically nodded.

"We have around 5 minutes until those flames are in this room. Are you going to help me get Bonnie through that window, or are you going to continue to sob like a 3 year old whose pissed his pants?"

Damon watched the teenager glance up at the one, small window in the far right hand corner of the room. It would need himself and Damon to hoist Bonnie out of there. There was no way either of them would fit. But at least they could get her out to safety.

"We'll need to find something to break it," Stefan dumbly suggested. Damon smacked him on the arm in a way a proud father would tell his son 'job well done.'

"Neither of you will get out of that window," Bonnie said, stating the obvious as Damon unhooked the fire extinguisher from the wall. " I can't leave you both here!"

"You have to" Damon said, smashing the window with an almighty crash, flurries of glass danced and bounced back against his naked torso and onto the floor beneath him. The cool night air felt magnificent against his overly-heated skin. As he handed the extinguisher back to Stefan, he heard a voice from outside.

It was her voice. Screaming his name.

* * *

><p><span>ELENA'S POV<span>

**"DAMON!"**

Elena could barely believe the sight before her eyes. The English Department was almost entirely engulfed in flames. The worst pain she'd ever felt, and she had only experienced it once before when her parents died, completely over took her body as she collapsed to the cold, dirty ground.

She tried to get back to her feet but she felt violently sick, unable to coordinate her body. A soft hand curled around her. It was Caroline talking frantically on her cell to the emergency services.

"Please hurry! There's people inside!"

Elena once again tried getting to her feet. She stumbled closer until she felt the heat of the fire against her skin. She needed to get in there to save Damon, to save Bonnie, she needed them to be alive or what was the point in living without them?

"Damon! Please God answer me, **DAMON!"**

She ran around the outskirts of the blazing building. Her naked feet cut and grazed on the concrete ground beneath them. She screamed and cried out their names over and over with no response. Nothing except the cruel rumble of the deep and heavy flames that kept her lover and friend imprisoned.

Eventually she found a room that the flames hadn't reached. Of all the rooms it was Mr Saltzman's. Dark and empty, a complete parallel to the towering inferno the rest of the building had become. Elena frantically looked around her feet, brushing her tangled curls of hair from her eyes to find anything that could break a window.

A large plank of wood, why it was there who knows, but it was and Elena was quick to try and use it. She used all the strength she had to smash the glass but she could barely make a crack. Bang. Thud. Crack. It was no use.

"Elena get away from there!" shrieked Caroline, barging her body into Elena's and tearing the wood from her hands.

"I have to get in their Caroline, Damon and Bonnie could be burning to death!"

"Elena you'll be killed!" Caroline screamed, hauling her friend away from the windows.

**"ELEENAAAAA!"**

The two girls abruptly stopped.

"Was that..."

**"ELENA OVER HERE!"**

**"DAMON!"** tore Elena's voice through the night as she ran alongside the building and around the corner. She thanked the Heavens above their heads that they were still alive. There was hope yet.

A black coat was being dangled from a small window. A very small window. Elena dashed over, almost tripping over her freezing toes as she latched her hands onto the sodden material that had been soaked in water.

"I'm here Damon! I'm here for you!"

* * *

><p><span>DAMON'S POV<span>

Damon closed his eyes and smiled at the sound of her voice on the other side of that wall. In all honestly, he could have burst into tears with relief. She was safe from Isobel. She was going to be okay. Knowing that gave Damon that extra push.

"Elena, baby, can you hear me alright?"

"Yes," she said, clearly crying with joy and hope "Yes, I hear you!"

"I'm in here with Bonnie and Stefan" he said, feeling his voice breaking up. He began to cough violently, his chest damaged from the mouthful of fuel mixed with smoke inhalation. A bad combination. "Stefan and I are going to lift Bonnie up to get her out - do you understand?"

"I do..." she said, momentarily trailing off "but what about you?"

Damon didn't answer and quickly turned back to find Bonnie and Stefan ready and waiting, a haze of smoke clouding around their bodies. There was no more time to waste.

"Lets get you out Bonnie,"

Damon reached out his hand which she took hesitantly, Stefan stood opposite him.

"I can't" she said, beginning to sob once more, "I'll never forgive myself for leaving you both here."

"Bonnie you have to go. Now come on"

"No, I can't leave..."

Without listening Damon nodded over to Stefan who nodded back in affirmation, and they hoisted her body upwards. Damon held her steady by her hip and the base of her foot, as did Stefan though with a little more difficultly. As Bonnie reached the window, Damon glanced over to the door of the Faculty Lounge. Greyish smoke was billowing thicker and heavier around the hinges and gaps of the door. The soaking clothes barrier at the floor now rendering useless.

"Hurry it up Bonnie, that's it girl" Damon said supportively.

He watched Bonnie begin to ease her petite body through the small window, flinching as her hands became embedded in the few fragments of glass Damon didn't manage to clear.

"Come on Bonnie, we've got you!" yelled Elena. Someone else must be with her. He hoped Alaric, he hoped someone trust worthy, he...

"Damon the flames!" Stefan cried.

With one last push, Bonnie was up and out. They had saved her.

Damon looked to Stefan standing opposite him. He'd turned from a boy to a man in a matter of seconds. The panic seemed to have faded from his dull emerald eyes, a look of acceptance of his fate etched across his furrowed brow. Damon looked over to the door as he slipped on the wet coat he'd dangled out of the window as a sign to Elena. The heat on the other side of the door was almost of a volcanic temperature. He sighed and shrugged his shoulders.

"Well..." he said to Stefan, looking to him with a lop-sided smirk on his face "We may as well give it our best shot."

* * *

><p><span>ELENA'S POV<span>

As Bonnie came squeezing out from the window high above, Elena and Caroline awkwardly grabbed her so she didn't fall to the concrete below. Limbs tangled and twisted, the girls caught her and tumbled to the ground so she landed on them. Elena desperately clung on to her friend who cried with deep anguish against her chest, gripping her smoke-stained arms around Elena's neck. Elena cried with relief and stroked back Bonnie's hair, shushing her like she were a small child.

"I thought I was going to die. The flames, the burning, she was burning right before my eyes!"

"Sssssshhh" Elena pressed on, feeling the horror tingle her spine at Bonnie's words. She had clearly seen things that were going to haunt her for the rest of her life.

Elena looked up to the now empty window. There was no life emanating from the gap now. Just smoke. Elena felt her heart pound painfully, a cold sweat eloped her shivering body.

"Damon are you still there?" she shouted, feeling so sure that he would be.

But it was silent.

Caroline stepped forward and shouted louder. Still silence.

Elena for a few seconds focused on Bonnie who was still sprawled in her arms. She blinked, feeling the tears squeeze through her closed eyes as she waited for Damon to say something back.

The sound of an ambulance whirred in the distance. Mingling with the haunting sound of the relentless flames that hammered the building before them.

"Damon..." Elena called weakly, feeling herself fall apart "Damon you better be finding a way out of there! Don't you dare leave me!"

Silence drew on... and on... Elena looked up one last time to find flames flicking through the window Bonnie had escaped from only moments before.

There. In that moment. She felt her heart break.

"Come on Bonnie," said Caroline in a smooth, gentle voice.

Elena, stricken with a grief she never thought she would feel again, stared dumbfounded to the ground as Bonnie shifted from her body and into Caroline's arms. Elena felt footsteps vibrate through the concrete towards them but she didn't look up. She just stared to the floor and slowly began to wonder about all the 'what if' scenarios. What if she followed Bonnie in the instance out of the dance? What if she only waited five minutes for them to come back, or even ten? What if she hadn't wasted time trying to smash those windows and came around the corner sooner to give Damon more time to escape?

She continued to plague herself with these thoughts as she felt someone standing above her. Cold tears trailed silently down her face as she looked up to find Alaric Saltzman standing beside her. She broke down quietly as he kneeled down to carefully ease her to her bruised and bloodied feet.

"He's gone" she whispered, staring up into Ric's gentle eyes that she had grown to love. He did nothing except guide her away from the burning building. It was all a blur as they rounded the corner to a horizon of flashing blue lights. Then the screeching tires, horns and yells of the fire department.

Seeing the firemen race towards the building made Elena stop and turn out of Alaric's grasp.

"I want to go with them," she mumbled tearfully.

"Elena, no"

"I want to go..."

She writhed against Alaric as he held her tightly to his body. She was on the verge of pummeling her tiny fists against his chest and stomach out of anger. She wanted to go with them to find Damon. Maybe he did make it out. Maybe he was alive. He could still be alive...

Giving up the fight, Elena blinked her tearful eyes over her shoulder to look at the building.

No one could possibly be alive in there now.

Moments later she and Alaric had reached the crowds of students and teachers who'd finally heard word of the fire. Hundreds of people were there and all shouting for Elena, asking if she was alright. Elena's frightened brown eyes glanced everywhere for Bonnie, for Caroline... but above all for the slightest chance that Damon had made it out alive.

"Elena! Elena!"

She turned to heed the call of her name. It was her Uncle John. She didn't know what to think as she saw the pain on his face be washed away with relief as he darted over to envelope her in his arms.

"You're alright! Thank Goodness you're okay!"

He moved away to inspect her face, not quite believing his one and only niece was alive before him, then grabbed ahold of her once again. Elena felt nothing. She was numb to the core. She simply stared into space over her estranged Uncle's shoulder, looking through the swarming of people and paramedics, seeing the distant figures of firemen dart back and forth to the raging fire. Watching the continuing bustle of people caused Elena to slip into a daydream. It took her several seconds to realize that one fireman had Damon Salvatore lifted over his shoulders.

And as she watched the love of her life be taken into an Ambulance, Elena couldn't hold on to reality for a moment longer, and passed out in her Uncle's arms.

* * *

><p><em>Told you it was dramatic! I hope you all enjoyed it in one way or another and I look forward to any reviews :-)<em>

_Anna xxx_


	33. Chapter 33

_Hello DE fans!_

_Oh wow... I was so nervous about my last chapter, I am ridiculously happy that so many of you liked it! I thought it'd be a little OTT (maybe it is.. but anyway) but i'm really pleased with your responses. You're all amazing, thank you for your support._

_So here is the following Chapter. All in Elena's POV... uh-oh..._

* * *

><p><span>ELENA'S POV<span>

The bright hospital lights stirred Elena from what felt like an incredibly deep slumber. Her hazy brown eyes slowly took in her surroundings. She was in a simple, clinical area with pale green curtains blocking them off from a bustling A&E ward. Everything seemed a little blurry. As though she were looking upon the world from the inside of a bubble. As she lifted her head ever so slightly, the onslaught of a headache melted through her brain. She was about to flop her head back onto her hard pillow until she noticed two figures in deep conversation at the end of her bed. A man and woman. She mumbled the first name that came to her,

"Damon?" she groaned, her voice barely above a guttural whisper.

The figures immediately came gathering to either side of her bed, grabbing her hands and holding them tight.

"Oh Elena, thank goodness you're back with us!"

Aunt Jenna. Without a doubt. Elena wanted to burst into tears already and hug her Aunt close. Her limbs felt heavy, like they were under water. She opted for squeezing her hand as best as she could.

She zoned in on the other person next to her. Disappointment trickled through her like tendrils of ice to find her Uncle John staring hard into her eyes.

Where was Damon?

"You'd better inform the nurse that she's awake, Jenna" he said.

Before Elena could mumble her pleas for Jenna to stay with her, she was already up and out of the room to find a nurse in the crowded hallways beyond the curtains that cocooned them. Surrendering to her Uncle's company, even in her woozy state of mind, Elena prepared herself for the hate about to be thrown her way. It was all out of the bag now surely. That the rumours Isobel had planted were indeed true - Elena Gilbert had been sleeping with Damon Salvatore. Her Uncle John would skin Damon alive if given the chance.

That is if Damon was even alive at all...

As that particular thought sunk in, Elena couldn't bear it.

"Tell me Damon is alive" she wavered, staring as hard as she could at her Uncle who bore a tired and drained expression. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat at the sound of her using Salvatore's first name. Elena shook her Uncle's arm when he didn't immediately answer. "Please tell me... is he alright?"

The silence that followed seemed to last an age. Time seemed to stop for them, but not for anyone else. The flurries of voices in the hallway, footstep after footstep, the bleeping and whirring of machines, the ring of a telephone. Everything was put back to normal speed as her Uncle sighed deeply and said,

"Yes. He's alive."

The tears fell freely and a smile beamed onto her face that only moments ago looked distraught and wracked with grief. Damon was still here. When all seemed lost. Damon was still with her.

"Alright, however, he is far from I'm afraid" John broke to her in the usual manner - tactless. Elena twisted her face angrily at him. Did he get a kick out of seeing her happy one minute only to bring her crashing down the next? As she formed the words _'you fucking asshole'_ on her tongue, he continued to speak. "I haven't been told the full details. But what I do know is that he is in surgery for multiple burns... and they are concerned there is serious damage to his respiratory system due to smoke inhalation."

Burns. Serious Damage. Smoke inhalation. Each word was like a dagger of panic stabbing through Elena's chest. For a moment she didn't know what to say, do, think... then she instantly wanted to get herself to her bruised and battered feet to find her Damon. He needed her and she needed him more than ever.

Her Uncle sensed this and placed a hand on her forearm.

"He's in surgery Elena, you'll be unable to see him until the doctors say otherwise."

Suddenly Elena found it hard to breathe with anxiety and stress for her lover. It caused her to think how he was stuck in the middle of that raging fire, engulfed in flames, struggling for each and every breath to survive.

"This is all my fault" she blurbed through deep, uneven breaths as she began to cry hard. Lost in her tears, she felt her Uncle John move her up into a seating position. He perched next to her so she could use him for support. "This is _all _my fault. Because of me, i've ruined everything for him!"

She didn't care if her Uncle was comfortable or not with her sobbing outbursts about Damon. She was upset for the man she would love unconditionally for the rest of her life and she didn't care who knew it.

"This is far from your fault Elena... I need you to listen to me."

He moved so he could look her in the eye. Elena was never able to read her Uncle, he was like a book with blank pages. She sniffled and wiped away the fat tears that continued to spill. As her breathing regulated, she waited anxiously for her Uncle to speak.

"I'm sure you're aware that I do not condone what you have been doing with Da- Mr Salvatore. He is an adult. You're a minor. It is _illegal._ When those rumours came out I wanted nothing more than to beat the living daylights out of him."

Elena could see him getting angry, but then a sudden rational look, matched with a calmness took over as he rubbed her shoulder soothingly.

"Yet as you were unconscious and whisked away to hospital, Miss Flemming's body was discovered with a lighter just inches away from her. Cue Bonnie's statement of how she discovered Isobel about to set the room alight with young Stefan and Salvatore inside. It made me think that if I thought... that if I thought Salvatore was evil, then what did that make her?"

As if giving her moment to think about his words, John released a breath he didn't realized he was holding from release. Elena looked up and for the first time, saw real emotion cross his features.

"While it is wrong. What you have been doing. I just cannot bring myself to confirm with the police that those rumours were true. I know I would cause unnecessary grief, more so than I already have caused for you in the wake of your parents death. And it would be as though I were granting Isobel a final win by putting Salavtore behind bars when the man is... is where he is right now."

The tears came falling once again as Elena rested back in her Uncle's hold. He was beginning to look from another perspective against all odds. She didn't think he was capable. He was so selfish and narrow-minded in the past. Yet now, after tonight's traumatic events, he was finally seeing things differently.

"I love him Uncle John," she whispered, conviction and truth behind her words. "I really do. He brought me back to life again. He is not a monster. He hasn't brain-washed me, or made me do anything against my wishes. He is a _good _man. He's a life-saver. Emotionally for me, and physically for Bonnie and Stefan tonight."

"I understand that. I know now" John said, "but while I am giving the man his freedom. There is something I would like to ask in return."

Elena felt her stomach drop for the umpteenth time that night. She expected him to ask about her parents inheritance, as he always used to. She was ready to pick a fight, her arms curling to fold across her chest as she braced for it. He inched backwards at her sudden coldness, sliding back into his seat yet taking one of her small hands into his.

"I would like to ask for you to finish school before continuing your relationship. I want you to graduate with glowing grades, grow up with your friends and discover yourself."

Elena concentrated on his request. What he was asking would still be technically breaking up with Damon, and that she could not bear the thought of. She felt, in a mature way, unable to function without him in her life.

"I'm not saying that I forbid you from seeing him. I just ask that you focus on building the foundations of your life for _you. _I don't think I am being unreasonable, considering the sheer gravity of this situation... do you?"

She paused for a moment, then sighed softly.

"No... I don't. But how can I trust you?"

"Because I am in on this too Elena,"

Elena gasped at the sight of her Aunt Jenna sliding into the room. She knew everything too!? This was too much to take in... and too good to be true. Was she still unconscious and this was all a cruel dream? Jenna perched on the edge of her bed and reached down to curl a loose wave of hair behind Elena's ear. The touch caused her skin to prickle with goosebumps. This was not a dream.

"As much as I struggle to take in what you've been up to Elena I... I just don't think I could live with myself if we condemned that poor man to prison, and take away something that I have noticed has made you incredibly happy. But I agree with John, for once in my life, that you should put the brakes on until you're a consenting adult in the eyes of the law."

Elena looked back and forth between her guardians. How could she disagree with them if it meant she and Damon would one day be together without the social stigma of a student/teacher relationship. They would be free to leave Mystic Falls behind and start afresh where no one would know anything about their tainted past. The thought warmed Elena deep inside. But she soon grew cold again - how could she cope without him for so long?

"It's going to be so hard" she whispered, blinking away fresh tears as she looked up into Jenna's eyes. "I agree with both of you and you have no idea how grateful I am. It seems so surreal. But I don't know how I'm going to tell Damon. Then to see him, but not be able to be the way I want to be around him... it's..."

"Elena honey," Jenna stammered, her voice a little shaky as she stopped Elena from speaking. "I don't think you'll have much of a choice on how you see or speak to Damon anyway. Not for a while."

"What... what do you mean...?" 

* * *

><p><strong><span>2 days later...<span>**

The past 48 hours had been a blur. Elena had learned that Stefan, from his hospital bed, had given a statement to the police admitting he was an accomplice of Isobel's to threaten Damon, though he did not know that Isobel intended to take the situation to the extreme level that she did. For all the lies and horrible things Stefan had done lately, Elena whole-heartedly believed him. As did Bonnie who witness everything after she went looking for Stefan, which she clearly explained in her statement to the police. It was becoming clear that Isobel Flemming was an emotionally unstable woman with an unhealthy and obsessive infatuation for Damon Salvatore. Any and all mentioning of Damon's relationship with Elena were nothing but a distant rumour left on some scrap paper in people's high school lockers - Elena could not believe their luck in that respect.

Sitting on the bottom step in the hallway of her house, Elena carefully shifted her bruised feet into her converse. They were swollen, but healing well. As she tied the laces she heard the heavy footsteps of her Uncle land before her.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked.

"I am" she said, standing to look in her Uncle's eyes that were far easier to meet these days.

As they rode in the car to Mystic Falls General, Elena felt her fear become apparent. She nervously twisted the end of her wooly scarf that lay in her lap. She hadn't seen Damon since the school dance, and last heard his voice as he called to her from inside the burning building. The memories caused tears to burn in her tired eyes. Then followed by thoughts of what state he was in now, they began to fall freely.

The moment her Aunt Jenna was about to explain something about Damon, a young female doctor breezed through the curtains to explain to Elena herself. It didn't matter how much empathy and thought Doctor Meredith Fell put behind her words, the information she delivered made Elena want to leap out of her bed, barge through any force standing in her way and find Damon and never leave his side.

It wasn't long until her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the car engine turning off. They were already there. Elena gathered the few things she'd brought with her and carefully exited the car. A large part of her wanted to rush through the automatic doors to find Damon. She had missed him more than ever. He was her everything. Yet apprehension tugged on her limbs as she slowly approached the building by her Uncle's side. She knew she couldn't entirely brace herself for what she may see. She knew it was silly, but she felt scared. Frightened, even. Which then made her feel so guilty. Then the tears would start again.

As the salty tears brimmed around her red-tinted eyes, Elena entered the building to find none other than Alaric Saltzman leaving. He slowed down his pace as he saw her, a tired look over his features.

"Hello Miss Gilbert" he said, his voice lower that usual as he smiled sadly at Elena. She returned the smile, pleased to see her friend.

"We won't be interrupting anyone who is visiting will we?" John asked as the three of them stood awkwardly in the hospital's busy reception area.

"Not that I'm aware of. I thought i'd come to visit now before I left to see the relatives for the holidays" Alaric replied, attempting to spring some life into the conversation, but Elena was in no mood to talk. She just wanted to see Damon. And not see him at the same time. Tears threatened to fall once more.

Her watery eyes saw Alaric step forward to bring her in for a hug. She didn't hesitate to wrap her arms loosely around his waist, allowing a few tears to fall as she rested her head against his chest.

"Hey" she felt his voice rumble, she moved out to look at him "he is going to be _fine_. Do you understand me?"

She nodded as he gave her arms a reassuring squeeze.

'Merry Christmas Mr Saltzman"

"And to you Elena. See you soon John"

The men exchanged a quick hand shake before Alaric swiftly left the building. Jonathan gestured for Elena to lead the way. She knew exactly where she was going - The Burns Unit.

* * *

><p>As she and her Uncle walked through the polished hallways in a relatively comfortable silence, Elena allowed her mind to cast over some of the amazing times she had experienced with Damon. Their first encounter and the way they couldn't keep their eyes off one another, the chemistry coming off in waves with each stolen glance and touch. Their first kiss that blew Elena's mind, creating a feeling that she'd never thought possible. Their first time making love, the way he touched and embraced her throughout the night, and each and every time they made love afterwards. She smirked at the thought of <em>his<em> smirk, the way it created flurries of excitement in her stomach. The eye-thing, the cocky yet amusing attitude that was addictive to be around. Swimming in the lake, holding her when she cried, stolen sexual encounters in his classroom, caring for him when he was weak, the exploding feeling of love from her chest when her eyes met his as she walked up those steps to the school dance. Damon Salvatore could never be replaced. She was desperately in love with him and she knew that would never change.

They finally reached their destination, in bold print a sign that read **BURNS UNIT **loomed over her -Elena wasn't afraid anymore.

A wave of relief blew over her as she entered the ward. It was fairly quiet. She took a few tentative steps further inside, her Uncle following, leaning to look around the corners to find a sign of life. Sure enough as she spotted a dark-haired woman coming towards them, she realized it was Doctor Fell.

"Elena Gilbert, so good to see you" she greeted, taking the young girls hand warmly. Elena smiled her appreciation. "I assume you're here to see Mr Salvatore?"

"We are," Elena said shyly, trying to be too over-excited. Damon was strictly a teacher whom she was here to visit.

"Then please let me show you to his room" Doctor Fell smiled, Elena noticed it subtly waver. She glanced back to her Uncle John who again, gestured for her to lead the way.

Elena felt the blood beat through her ears as she followed Doctor Fell. It was difficult to ignore some of the loud mechanical breathing noises that echoed from closed rooms. From the corner of her eye she noticed a room with the door open, a patient inside almost bandaged from head to toe. It send a chill through her. She kept her focus on the petite figure of Doctor Fell in front who began to slow her pace.

She stopped outside a door that had it's blinds closed. Elena didn't know if that was significant. Was he so horrifically injured that they closed any sight of him? _No, don't be silly. They aren't like that _scolded her brain. Doctor Fell clasped her hand around the handle and inhaled to speak,

"As I've explained previously, Mr Salvatore's respiratory system was severely damaged during the fire. Intubation and high-frequency ventilation was required due to the burns he has sustained. We're keeping him on the ventilator until we're confident that he can breathe independently."

"Is he awake?" Elena blurted out, somewhat knowing that was a ridiculous question given what Doctor Fell had just told her.

"I'm afraid not Miss Gilbert. We're keeping him sedated for now. These are very early days in his recovery, it will take time" she explained. She had the perfect tone of voice for explaining these things. Elena tightened her grip on the bag she had brought and composed herself. She was ready.

Doctor Fell reassuringly smiled at Elena before quietly opening the door to Damon Salvatore's room.

Taking a deep breath, Elena closed her eyes and walked through. She felt his presence, though she kept her eyes closed, taking in the unavoidable sound of Damon's labored breathing through the ventilator. It was beginning to make her crumble inside. She took three footsteps further into the cool room until she heard the sound of the door click shut. Only then did she open her eyes.

And there he was. Her Damon.

He was so still. So incredibly still. Before Elena could take much more in she saw Doctor Fell wander over to Damon's bedside. She checked something on the machine before seeming satisfied enough to say,

"I'll leave you to have some privacy with Damon. Please press this" she indicated to a small, green button above Damon's bed, "should you need my attention."

"Thank you" Elena whispered, then drawing her attention back to Damon laying before her.

Stepping a little closer, Elena saw his chest slowly rise up and down... up and then down again in a steady, yet chilling rhythm with the ventilator. It was hard to stomach that fact that without that machine right now, Damon would surely die. Elena inched closer towards him, frightened that the slightest movement she made could do some harm, even though she wasn't touching anything. He seemed so fragile amongst the apparatus that was keeping him alive.

Without looking, without taking her eyes off of Damon, Elena sat in a leather seat beside his bed. It was so strange to be sat next to him, yet he did not register that she was there. It was difficult to see his beautiful face with the mask that encompassed his mouth and nose. All she could see were his eyes that remained closed, and would remain closed for who knows how long. Oh to see those baby-blues right now. Elena would give _anything._

"Hey you," she whispered, a part of her hoping he would react in some way to the sound of her voice... but there was nothing. Not even a slight alteration of the 'bleep' of his heart monitor. Everything remained as it was.

With a sudden feeling of sadness and pain Elena stood up from her seat to brush his raven locks from his forehead and to place a kiss above his brow. It was only then, as she leaned over him, that she finally saw the right side of his body.

"Oh God..." she gasped, her chest constricting heavily as she felt faint. Her Uncle, who she'd all but forgotten was there in the room, held her steadily from behind.

"It's okay, it's alright" he said as Elena steadied herself. She wanted to burst into tears. "would you like to leave?"

"No. Never" Elena stammered, suddenly feeling angry with herself. "It was... it was just a shock. I didn't expect it to be so... I'm alright. I'm alright now" she said evenly. Allowing herself to be composed before returning to his side.

However as she approached the side of his body that she sat next to only moments ago, she stopped. Instead she leaned down to collect her bag and moved to sit to his right.

His right arm was almost completely bandaged. The skin that she could see was inflamed and a far cry from the smooth, porcelain skin that she remembered. She could see the dressing extend over his shoulder to his back. Through tearful eyes she travelled down the length of his body. His torso was almost completely wrapped up and she couldn't believe she hadn't noticed as she walked in. Or maybe she had, but it was so much to take in. Her poor baby was so damaged she could barely think straight. The dressing stretched along the right side of his neck and slightly onto his face. The biggest relief was that his face was completely fine. Say for a few scratches and angry red marks, his face had survived any direct contact with the flames. But even if his entire body had been destroyed beyond any recognition, Elena would have loved him all the same. You never, _ever_ give up on someone you're in love with.

She gently reached across to brush back his unruly dark hair and smiled down with overwhelming happiness.

"I'll leave you alone for a while. Keep an eye out for nurses" John warned.

"I will" Elena whispered, not evening looking up, just staring down at her man and wishing she could kiss every inch of him.

The moment the door shut. Elena felt free to talk.

"I feel like I'm in a movie when I ask if you can hear me..." she began, continuing to stroke her thumb over his forehead, occasionally messing her hand through his soft hair, "but I really hope you can Damon, because I want you to know that I am here. That you're safe. That you're _always _going to be safe - and that I love you with everything that I have."

She paused to watch for any change. She hoped too much that he would suddenly twitch his hand, or his heart rate would go up, or his eyes would open. Everything remained the same. She reached her freehand down to his, but flinched away as she was greeted with the rough texture of bandages that wrapped around his fingers. Before she exploded into more tears, she hurriedly reached down for her bag.

"I brought you a few things you might like," she sobbed, tucking a loose hair behind her ear. "I brought you a photograph of us" she said, reaching into her bag to pull out the photo. It wasn't in a frame, as she knew he couldn't have it on display. "It's the one from the log cabin. The one Alaric discovered, yet it's our favourite" she chuckled, staring down at their faces in the photograph. Her head was turned to kiss his cheek while he smiled into the camera. His eyes were so blue in the photograph. As clear as the sky. She wished he would open them now. Even for a second. "I'll put it in your hand for you to hold" she said, wandering around to the left side of his bed. Even though he was unresponsive, she still felt electricity sparkle her skin as she touched him. She curled his fingers protectively around the photograph... he didn't respond.

"Um.. then I brought a few essentials of yours. For example.." she picked out a pair of Calvin Klein's and stretched them a little at the waistband with a smirk "I know you don't like to wear any other kind of boxers. Please try not to go commando with such a cute nurse looking after you. Then I brought your old friend Mr Leather Jacket. I know you hate to be parted with it. I have no idea when you can wear it but.. but yeah, I brought it. I know how much you love it... um.." she felt herself become more upset as she unpacked the few clothes that she'd brought for him. His clean, masculine scent washing over her as she unfolded them and placed them in the small drawers beside his bed.

"And finally I thought I'd bring a little reading material..." she felt nervous about this one as she trailed her fingers along the worn in spine of _Gone With the Wind. _His mother's favourite book and his own. "I'll read a little now to you if you like? I'm sure it'll be more interesting than hearing me going on and on," she giggled, flipping open the book to page number one.

She read to Damon for a long while, becoming engrossed in the book herself, enjoying reading to him even though she had no idea whether he could hear her or not. A slight rapt on the door broke off her trail of reading as her Uncle John stepped into the room.

"Visiting hours are almost at an end," he said quietly, clearly not wanting her to feel rushed.

Elena glanced over to Damon who remained as he was. She didnt want to leave. She wanted to stay every minute of every day until he was better.

"Can I visit tomorrow Uncle John?" she asked, closing the book as she looked over her shoulder. John nodded silently.

Elena brushed her thumb along the book that she knew was precious to Damon and carefully placed it in his top drawer.

"I have to go now Damon," she whispered, not bothering her spare her Uncle any awkwardness as she leaned down to place a soft, gentle kiss on Damon's forehead. She inhaled to breathe in his scent... but it wasn't there. Just the faint smell of ash. She placed several quick kisses in succession above his brow as she mumbled how much she loved him. "I'll be back tomorrow. I promise."

Staring down at his beautiful face, Elena carefully slipped the photograph from his hand.

"I love you so much," she said, placing one final kiss on his head before leaving him alone once more.

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><p><em>So there you have it! He's aliiiiive!<em>

_I'm already struggling with the next Chapter. It may be the epilogue, but i'm not entirely sure. We'll soon find out. Hope you enjoyed the latest update!_

_Anna xxx_


	34. Chapter 34

_Hey everyone!_

_I am finally here with the last 3 chapters of Love Lessons. It has been a long time coming and for that I apologise. My computer died back in January/February time and since I've found a new job and relocated so my writing and the purchase of a new laptop had to be put on the back burner. I really hope these chapters are worth the wait, they were a lot of fun to write. A little cheesy, but we like a good bit of cheese every now and then right!?_

_So on we go with Chapter 34. Chapter 35 should be up tomorrow-ish. Enjoy DE fans!_

_Oh and how ah-mazing was the Season Finale?  
><em>

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><p><span><strong>ELENA'S POV<strong>

Elena didn't visit Damon the next day as she said she would. Nor did she visit the day after. Or Christmas Eve. Christmas Day was out of the question.

As much as she objected, Uncle John felt it was best they kept her visits to a very minimum to avoid any suspicion. It tore her up inside knowing Damon was alone - all day, every day. He had no friends and no family who cared enough to visit him. He almost lost his life and was fighting to fully recover and she wanted nothing more than to set up camp in that room and stay with him for as long as he was in that place.

Not wanting to fight her Uncle after his leniency to allow her to be with Damon after everything that had happened, Elena bit her tongue and carried on working through each day until she could see Damon again. She avoided watching the local news, reading the papers and talking to anyone other than Jenna, Jeremy and Bonnie and Caroline.

Elena owed Bonnie so much. She visited Christmas Eve with Caroline as she recovered from a badly sprained ankle and some cuts and bruises after the fire ordeal at the school. Elena cooked, Caroline baked and they did nothing but watch fluffy Christmas movies for the entire day. It was such a huge relief to spend quality time with her friends. But her thoughts were never far from Damon. Ever.

The day after Christmas Elena was about to set out on a long walk through the snow-covered woods to clear her head when Uncle John came wandering through the door. As soon as she looked into his eyes she knew why he was here.

It was visiting day at last.

"He is making progress. It's slow, but we are getting there," explained Doctor Fell as she led Elena and John through the hallway towards Damon's room. A few Christmas decorations sadly hung from the ceiling. It was more like a painful reminder of the Christmas that these patients had missed. It reminded Elena how Damon would have spent this Christmas Day alone. Nothing but the occasional nurse popping in to check his condition, tweak a few drops and leave again.

Elena just hoped and prayed that they were in for a much happier New Year.

"Please just call for my attention should you need anything, but I'll be back in shortly" finalized Doctor Fell before leaving them with a reassured smile.

Once she was out of sight, John whispered to Elena "I'll go grab myself a coffee. I'll be back in half an hour."

Elena secretly wanted to protest at the poor amount of time that John had offered. She wanted hours. The day. Every day. However half an hour was better than nothing at all. She thanked her Uncle who left without another word.

She couldn't open that door quick enough.

And in a way that surprised her, she was smiling with pure joy as she laid her eyes on Damon's sleeping form. She expected to feel sad, upset, wracked with grief. But she hadn't seen him in so long. She was just so happy to see him again.

"Hey you," she whispered, walking over to his vegetated body to smooth back his ruffled dark hair to place a warm kiss on his cool forehead. "I've missed you so much" she said, almost cradling his head in her arms as tears seeped from her closed eyes.

After several moments of bliss, the familiar drone of the machine next to him, and the clinical sound of air being pumped into his lungs made her fall back to earth with a painful thud. She blinked open her tearful eyes to see his bandaged chest slowly rising up and down in time with the ventilator. She cursed that machine for being needed, yet thanked it at the same time. His lungs and wind pipe were fried, he would never have been able to cope on his own after the fire.

Rubbing away her tears, Elena knew she needed to stop dwelling and start being a good visitor. She didn't have much time and she wanted to make the best of it.

"I'm so sorry I haven't been to visit, Damon" she began as though he were able to talk back. She slipped into the cool leather padded chair beside his bed. "Uncle John didn't want anyone to become suspicious... I couldn't disagree with him after everything. There's... there's so much I need to tell you" she said, feeling herself begin to crumble as she stared at Damon's lifeless form before her. How could she not dwell? She missed him and she wanted him to talk to her more than ever.

Rising from her seat, she leaned over his body, glancing down at everything that kept him pieced together and back to those eyes that remained closed. He was in there. Somewhere. She needed him back.

"Damon please... _please _wake up. There is so much I need to tell you. If you can hear me I want you to know that there's no need to be afraid anymore. You're safe. You're safe to wake up Damon."

Through her blurred vision she watched his face... studied every single angle as hard as she could. She was willing for change. Willing for a sign that he was listening, that he was coming back and he'd do it while she was here. All she wanted was for him to wake up. To open his eyes.

"I'm holding your left hand Damon," she said, slipping her fingers between his, gripping them gently. "Can you feel that?" She brought his arm carefully to her chest. Resting his hand against the steady rhythm of her heart. "I'm here Damon. I am always here"

Footsteps outside the room disrupted their moment. Elena jumped with fright as she hurriedly placed Damon's arm back into place and wiped her tears. For a second she feared she may have blown their cover.

She stared at the door for a few more moments, listening closely to a muffled conversation on the other side. They gradually began to wander away from the door until Elena could hear nothing but distant footfall. She breathed out with relief. She needed to keep composed and to keep the tears at bay.

With a sad smile she turned to look back down at Damon.

And he was awake.

A sharp gasp escaped Elena's lips and she felt as though she were going to faint. She stared at him with disbelief, into his hazy blue eyes that looked so very tired and lost.

"Damon..!?" She noticed his eyes spark to life at the sound of his name. She stroked her fingers through his raven hair and watched his eyes flicker at the gentle touch, relishing in the feel of her finger tips to his skin.

"You're awake," she said, almost as if to convince herself that he _really_ was. "You're awake!" she repeated, bursting into a smile as she felt his head ever so slightly rest against her palm that continued to stroke through his hair.

"I'll be right back Damon, I need to tell someone" she pressed a soft kiss on his forehead and quickly dashed out of the room only to bump into Doctor Fell herself.

"He's awake! His eyes, he, he opened them! He's awake!"

Doctor Fell had to place her hands on Elena's arms to calm her down, she was almost going hysterical with happiness. Without another word Doctor Fell entered the room and sure enough, her handsome patient had roused from his deep slumber.

Elena stood silently by the door as she watched Doctor Fell examine Damon, she was speaking to him but Elena couldn't fully pay attention to what she was doing. She was far too focused on Damon. Watching his eyes slowly open and close, fearing he would drift back into nothingness once more.

"Well Mr Salvatore, this is the most responsive you have been to date" stated Doctor Fell with a satisfied smile as she pressed a button on the wall above Damon's bed that pinged into a bright green light. Elena frowned,

"You mean... he's been awake before?"

"He has," explained the young Doctor, "as I explained earlier... he's making progress."

Elena felt painfully guilty knowing he had woken before and she wasn't there with him. He would have been alone. What if he were frightened? In pain? Anxious as to where he was? Could he remember what had happened? As much as she tried, she couldn't help the tears that began to fall. She felt like the worst person in the world because she couldn't always be there to help him through this. To show that he wasn't abandoned, that he wasn't in trouble. He would walk from this as a free man.

Elena began to approach the bed the moment a small team of Doctors entered the room.

"Miss Gilbert I'm afraid I must ask you to leave while we examine your teacher further" explained Doctor Fell.

Elena tried to glance over the gathering bodies to see Damon's face once more but she couldn't see over their broad shoulders. She was panicking now.

"What's happening? Is he alright? Is he in pain?"

Doctor Fell escorted the poor girl from the room away from the hustle and bustle.

"This is the most responsive Mr Salvatore has been, which is a great improvement. He has woken before, but I wasnt quite satisfied enough to move on to the next step, which would be to remove the endotracheal tube to see if he can breathe by himself. The Doctor's are assessing the possibility of removing the tube as we speak."

"Will he be in pain?"

"He will be in some discomfort with his injuries, but we have made him as comfortable as possible."

Elena slowly nodded. Trying to soak in all the information she had just heard. A fresh tear rolled down her cheek.

"Sorry," she muttered. Realizing her attempts at composure had all but failed. "He's just... he means a lot. He's helped me through a very tough time and..." she realized she was waffling and probably digging herself a large hole. Thankfully Doctor Fell nodded in understanding.

"We're giving your teacher the best possible care Miss Gilbert."

"Can I... can I go back in to say goodbye?"

"I'm sorry Miss Gilbert, but we need to leave the Doctors to their work now."

Elena nodded in understanding as her Uncle breezed down the hallway with a look of confusion. Doctor Fell ran through the same information with him as she did with Elena. Through the slit in the blinds of Damon's room, Elena tried to see what they were doing. It was a blur of shadowy figures working around his body. Elena desperately wanted to be with him. What if he was so out of it when he opened his eyes that he didn't realize she were there? That maybe it was a cruel dream? A cold feeling wrapped around her body. She wanted to be in that room so badly.

"... it's probably best that we deny any further visitation for today." finished Doctor Fell to John who listened to her words intently.

Once more Elena was desperate to protest. If she were his partner she could probably stay for as long as she wanted. Their secretive relationship tore her up further.

"Elena..." came John's voice from above. She had all but zoned out as she stared to the window. Only looking away as one of the Doctor's inside closed the blind completely.

"Lets go home, Sweetheart."

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><p><span><strong>DAMON'S POV<strong>

If a couple of busted ribs were painful... this... whatever this was... was unbearable for Damon.

Everything seemed to be a struggle but he didn't know why. Flashbacks to the school dance, the blade at his throat, Isobel striking the match in her hand... flames. So many of them. Everywhere. The feeling of being engulfed in heat. The heat on his tongue, through his nose, the sheer sting in his eyes. Just heat and nothing else. It still felt that way. On his body. His chest. One side of his body feeling the burn of it. The pain in his lungs with each and every breath, the discomfort of something permanently lodged in his throat from the mask that obscured his view of everything around him but the lights above his head.

It scared him.

Images of Elena danced in his mind. He felt as though he had seen her, but he wasn't sure. She was holding his hand. He recalled the feeling of her gorgeous long hair tickling his skin. She was talking and the word 'always' came to mind, but he couldn't remember any other words. It was the feel of something on his hand in particular. Like a tapping. Or a beat. That roused him to find bright lights screaming down at him. Everything else seems like a blur of brightness. His name was spoken and he tried to focus clearly. It was so hard. He was so sure it was her face he saw but he couldn't be certain.

The fact he hadn't seen her since, made him feel quite certain that it was a dream. That it wasn't real.

A groan of discomfort rumbled from his chest. A dim wave of pain followed. Something told him it should be worse, but thankfully it stopped. He flickered open his eyes that throbbed, trying to make sense of what was happening around him. Voices spoke but he couldn't retain anything. He was so drowsy. He wanted to sleep but he was too frightened to sleep.

Frightened... now that was a word he hadn't paired with himself since his mother died.

Everything was becoming more uncomfortable now. The pain came back again with another intake of breath. He attempted to look to his left which seemed easier. No one was there. He could shuffle his left hand around a little, but it felt heavy. Another intake of breath... it was definitely getting worse. It was hurting and it was hurting bad.

_Just breathe Salvatore _he told himself. Closing his eyes and trying to focus on the simple task of breathing through the pain until someone came to take it away.

His heart skipped a beat the moment he felt tears fall from his closed eyes.

If he could move, he'd have brushed the sneaky little fuckers away and would hope he'd forget that he actually shed a tear. The watery trail tickled his skin. He could feel it.

He also felt the soft pad of a thumb brush it away.

And there she was.

Instinct told him to say her name. Her sweet name that rolled of his lips but a fireball of pain erupted through his throat and travelled to the core of his lungs as he tried. She was talking and brushing back his unruly hair. Through the haze that blurred his sight he saw her look across the room. He took that moment to study how truly beautiful she looked, and hoped that this was real.

"Damon.." she whispered, smiling down at him like a little ray of sunshine. Damn she was so beautiful. She was worth getting through this.

But it was getting increasingly difficult.

Instead he tried to focus on her speaking.

"... you hear me, Damon?... my hand..." he felt her hand take his left. "... Doctor mentioned that you... out of it, even though you're awake. Can you... me?... Squeeze..."

Damon squeezed her hand. He could hear her. Just about.

The pain burst again and he squeezed her hand but didn't know how hard. That was a bad one. Something was wearing off, it has never been this bad.

_Please get a nurse, Elena. _

"... you alright?"

She was standing above him, her sudden movement causing several of her to dance in his vision. Over the bulky plastic that covered his mouth he could see she was still holding his hand and... was that bandages covering his chest?

As he looked up to Elena, he saw her expression change to that of worry. Indeed he did have bandages wound around his torso. He could include his arm in that too. And the awful sensation of a tube tunnelling it's way down his throat to feed an oxygen supply to his singed lungs. The extent of what had happened was more serious than he thought, despite the fact he had intense flashbacks of running through towering flames to escape. He thought he'd come off better. Was he burned all over? Third degree? Was he recognisable? The thoughts were coming thick and fast and as much as loved having his beautiful angel looking down on him, he wanted to drift back into darkness.

"I'll get the doctor," Elena said with urgency.

Damon quickly found her hand with his left, stopping her from leaving.

She looked confused as she stepped back closer, staring down at him intently. Her beauty stunned him to no end. Despite the fear pounding through his system, he felt a calmness as he began to remember...

"Was is it Damon? I'm here for you... I'm _always _here."

Damon looked from her face to her hand with his. Everything suddenly coming back.

He moved their linked hands to her chest. Resting them just below the swell of her breast until the steady beat of her heart could be felt.

It was real.

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><p><em>Hope this was worth the wait! I really, really do!<em>

_Finishing touches to Chapter 35 shall commence tonight! Anna x_


	35. Chapter 35

_Helllooooo Delena fans!_

_Thank you for some of your reviews already! It's so nice to see that people check up on Love Lessons despite it being out of action for a few months. They really make me smile :-D This chapter is just a short one before the final chapter. So... on we go as promised!_

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><p><span><strong>DAMON'S POV<strong>

"If you have any questions or would like to talk Mr Salvatore, plea-"

Damon slowly shook his head. Despite the fact he was saying to himself only 20 minutes ago that he was sick and tired of being alone. After what he just saw, he needed to be alone again. It was too painful to talk anyway.

From staring at the blank wall before him, his eyes glanced across to the nurse who wound the last of the fresh bandage around his right hand. Covering up the mangled flesh that he had just seen for the first time.

"I understand that you must feel quite shocked, but we can help you as and when you are ready" continued Doctor Fell.

The nurse who fixed his arm back up caught his eye and quickly moved away to leave the room. He knew he was glaring, but the sooner he got the Doctor to leave the room as well the better, but she seemed quite happy to stay even though he was deliberately avoiding the fact she was standing in the room with him. With the mirror still held in her arms.

"Is there anything I can do for you before I go?" she asked softly, drifting over to the bed so he had no choice but to look at her. She was a doll and he couldn't thank her enough for her time and dedication. There was a lot that she could do for him; the elastic wiring of his breathing mask had become twisted around the back of his head and he knew he wouldn't be able to reach himself to untangle it. His throat was still in agony and an endless supply of iced water would go down a treat. The base of his right foot was itching like a bitch and if he could have a quarter-pounder cheese burger from McDonald's that would be fantastic.

Instead, he just shook his head slowly once more. He needed to absorb what had just happened.

Disheartened, Doctor Fell excused herself from the room and left him alone.

The gentle hiss of air swirling through his mask was all that could be heard. He momentarily thought about how nice it was to have that awful tubing removed from his throat. It felt like a milestone to breathe more independently. Even to adjust his bed so he could sit upright, shake his daily routine up a bit and see a better view of the wall and what not! This morning he felt that all he needed to do now was get by without this irritating oxygen mask every day, ease himself back into a full conversation with someone without struggling and he would be laughing.

But then Doctor Fell asked if he was ready to see his injuries.

_"Sure. Why not. Let's get it over with." _he said... albeit rather slowly and with great discomfort. He wished he'd listened to Doctor Fell's advice. Which was to reveal the burns little by little, to ask him how he felt, if he wanted to continue, if he wanted to stop. Full of the bravado and on a particularly good start to the day, Damon told them to just show him. That he'd be fine.

He almost vomited with shock as the mirror revealed his reflection. Angry, ugly and painfully sore burns, skin-grafts that in his eyes looked unsuccessful and useless, yet Doctor Fell assured him that with more surgery they would look better over time. With psychological help for PTSD, depression, anxiety he could get through this. It was at that point that Damon asked her to leave the room.

Damon hated vanity. But all he could think for a moment was how _good _his body looked before. He looked after himself, worked-out, ate well and had the benefits of that. Now it was gone. The right side of his torso pretty much melted away. And his arm. Good Lord his arm... The bandages were deceiving. As naïve as it was, he expected his arm to look burned, still pretty red and a couple of bad wounds but never did he expect to see that. It didn't seem real, yet at the same time it was dawning on him that this was his life from now on and he just needed to cope with that.

That's what life was now - coping.

Suddenly that twisted wire around his head was really starting to fuck him right off. The elastic digging against his scalp, causing the mask to feel tighter on his face.

He knew he couldn't reach the goddamn thing with his left arm but tried anyway. He could buzz for help, but he was far too stubborn for that. He'd been a stubborn prick all day, thinking he'd know better and mentally kicked himself in the shin for it.

_Come on you fucker..._

Slowly, he eased himself into a sitting position to reach better. It hurt. Enough to feel like his chest was still burning. But he was determined to reach it, snap it back into place and carefully ease back against the bed. No use. Weak muscled and energy waning, Damon ended up slumped back against the bed. He rode out the pain as best as he could, which wasn't very well at all.

Yet that elastic still continued to give him grief.

Frustrated and angry, Damon yanked off his mask and attempted to breathe solo.

_Fuck..._ he sounded like he was dying. The sensation felt like he was breathing through a straw, a phlegm-like substance curdling painfully in the pit of his throat. His chest rose up and down faster and faster in a panic to gain more oxygen. It brought flashbacks; the moment he staggered to his knees with Stefan in tow, the exit to the building so close yet the fumes took hold completely and he succumbed to its power.

Through his effort of breathing he didn't notice Elena enter the room.

"Damon, what are you doing!? Put your mask back on!"

With a horrified look on her face she came storming over to his bedside to adjust his mask back to his face. She looked so worried and he felt awful for frightening her. He placed his hand of top of hers that held his mask at the ready and tugged her hand slightly. Wanting to bring her closer.

She furrowed her brow a little, but then she came to realize... that he was wanting to kiss her. Desperately.

"Damon I... we"

He knew it was dangerous. He knew they'd been through enough but he just needed one quick kiss. He needed this to make this day worth getting through another.

Her gorgeous brown eyes checked the door, listened out for a second, then she drew her attention back to him. He was really struggling to breathe normally now and needed to kiss her before he would eventually have to choose the mask over her.

He stroked a hand through her silky hair, tucking it behind her ear and cupping his hand at the back of her head to draw her closer. Her eyelashes flickered as his lips met hers with the gentlest of touches. She released a soft sound of comfort and Damon suddenly gained the strength to deepen the kiss. Her response was incredible. As they kissed harder she brushed her hand through his hair, stroking her thumb across his cheek, then her fingers grazing along his jaw, cupping his chin and tilting his head back so she could take control. Her long hair shielded them from the outside world. Through hazy eyes Damon met those of a deep, sensual brown that stared down at him with love. This girl was everything to him. He wanted to kiss her forever. He would die a happy man. Suddenly it felt like he almost would as he had to tear himself away from her lips, caught in some weird breathing seizure as he tried to regain some rhythm of breathing.

"Sorry," he said, his voice so damaged it didn't sound like his own.

Elena quickly and carefully placed the mask back over his face. _Ohh..._ that air felt so, so good. She noticed the twist in elastic herself and straightened it for him. He smiled.

"How's that?" she asked.

Damon gave her a thumbs up and rewarded her with a smirk underneath the plastic dome that covered his mouth. She blushed and tucked her hair behind her ear. Damn it how he wanted to get himself out of this bed and whisk her away. She had explained everything that had happened on her last visit. From Isobel's death, Bonnie and Stefan's statements to the police, the offer that John had made... _Jonathan Gilbert _of all people, has said he is not going to lift the lid on his relationship with Elena. He was going to leave them be under the circumstances that Elena would graduate before they continued their relationship. Damon had no problem with that. He'd be happy to wait a decade if he had to.

Yet now he knew what he looked like underneath all these bandages... would she want to wait for a body as damaged as his?

Would it be fair to expect her to?

He knew she wasn't superficial, she was a beautiful person inside and out and it wouldn't matter to her. But she was so young and she had already suffered so much grief. Yet here she was in hospitals again, he'd almost died and death had already consumed two family members too many for her. He was in for a tough ride both physically and mentally and he didn't want to put her through that.

"I bumped into Doctor Fell down the hallway... I swear that woman doesn't sleep" Elena said, stroking his left arm. He watched her face alter from smiling to very much serious. "She told me that you saw yourself today... for the first time..."

Damon knew she would mention it. He remained silent. He had no idea where to start.

"I wish I had been here that little bit sooner. I could have been there with you."

"They wouldn't have... allow it" Damon breathed, seeing a flash of hurt cross her soft features.

"Well regardless... I just wish I could have been there to support you" she said sternly, probably pissed that he didn't acknowledge the sentiment in her words but in truth he would have hated it if she were there. He didn't want her to see the state he was in. It was ugly. There was no other way of putting it.

"It's... bad" he croaked. "Really... really bad."

"But it will get better," she said, her voice heavy with hope and optimism. "It'll be a long road to recovery, but we'll get there. I am going to be there to take care of you."

"N-no... you're not."

"Damon..." she said, her voice tainted with hurt and confusion. Her hold of his hand was slipping away but Damon squeezed her hand back to his.

"Your Uncle... We have to listen to him... You need to concentrate on your... on your education... your friends... building up your life. I'll be..." His chest began to tighten a little and he hoped Elena would give him a minute to recover. She watched him with glassy eyes, clearly scared of what he might say. "I'll get better... I'll rebuild some... somehow. It's a long, long road 'Lena... I won't have you, so young, dedicating your time to looking after me... When you graduate... I'll be... I'll be waiting... but I won't expect you to wait for..."

"Don't you _dare_ finish that sentence Damon Salvatore."

_Whoa... _Damon had never heard her so angry before. His weeping angel suddenly transformed into an angry Goddess, standing above him with her eyes penetrating into his.

"I am going to wait for you. A few burns aren't going to scare me away, Damon. You could have had your face burned off and I would still be here. I _love _you, Damon. You brought me back to life and I want to live it with you. I know we'll listen to John, but that doesn't mean I won't look after you if I ever needed to. I wish I could be there through each and every step of this healing process. From the emotional to physical. But I will wait.. because you mean everything to me. _Everything..."_

* * *

><p><em>Final chapter is in the post! Anna x<em>


	36. Final Chapter

_So here we are... the final chapter of Love Lessons!_

_It's been a longer journey than anticipated, but I would like to thank each and every one of you who has reviewed, followed and favoured this story. It means an incredible amount to me and has encouraged me to continue, despite having a very difficult year with a close family member of mine being extremely ill. It has been a brilliant distraction to life, so again, THANK YOU!_

_I really hope this last chapter has been worth the journey and please leave your reviews if you have the time. They may encourage me to get the first chapter of my new story on here A LOT quicker *hint hint* ;-) hehehehe. I have the first two chapters written and it features a much darker Damon... but we all loved him that way once, right?_

_Anyways, enough of my rambling and on we go with the last chapter - enjoy!_

_Anna xxx_

* * *

><p><span><strong>ELENA'S POV<strong>

"Now are you _sure _you have everything you need?"

"Jenna I'm pretty much taking the entire contents of my room, I'm sure I'll be fine!" Elena giggled, slamming down the trunk of her car. Excitement shot through her body. She had waited for this day for such a long time.

She rounded the car to pull her Aunt into a hug.

"The house is going to feel so empty" said Jenna. Elena knew she would be crying.

"You have Jer to keep you company."

"I suppose, now that he's _finally _out of his brooding phase."

Elena smiled and glanced back up at the house. So many memories. Her heart-strings tugged a little, but they were soon fluttering again with anticipation for the future ahead.

"Take care Aunt Jenna... love you"

"Love you too, Sweetie"

As Elena twisted on her heel, she saw her Uncle standing at the doorway of the house. He had become a regular visitor, keeping an eye on how she and Jeremy were doing. He was as good as his word. He was now the Uncle he always should have been.

She smiled and nodded in his direction. He returned the favour, with a smile she had never seen on his face before... maybe it was because it was genuine.

Elena couldn't get into that car of hers quick enough. She revved the engine, clicked on her seatbelt and turned the radio up. Waving to her family with a cheesy grin on her face, she beeped the horn and took off for the open road. Laughing with pure joy as she made her way to pick up Bonnie and Caroline.

This was going to be the most _amazing_ summer ever.

* * *

><p><span><strong>DAMON'S POV<strong>

"Oww! **OW** not so hard you idiot!"

"I'm being as gentle as I can."

"You need to go slower, Ric. And not so hard."

"But I thought you liked it rough, baby..."

Damon grabbed a cushion next to him and wacked it into Alaric's face who snickered to himself.

"You're so fucking hilarious you know that" said Damon, grimacing as Alaric continued to massage his shoulder and neck. The skin there had a terrible knack for contracting and he needed regular scar massage's. One massage a day to be exact. After months of feeling like his masculinity was being slowly but surely massaged away, Damon finally stopped being a tit about it and began to feel comfortable with Alaric being his honorary masseuse. Alaric also stopped mentioning "how gay this must look" and just worked through it. Didn't stop the awful jokes though.

"You nearly caught me in the eye with the zip on that cushion"

"Man up. Try having 3 degree burns almost melt away your right nipple"

"Don't say that word."

"What word... nipple?"

"Urrgghh yeah! It goes through me."

"But what if my chest was feeling pretty constricted one day and I asked you to massage my nipple?"

"Tough shit."

Damon laughed to himself as he checked the time on the Grandfather Clock in the corner.

"Need to wrap this up man.. literally"

Damon cricked his neck, feeling his skin tug a little on the right as he stood up to retrieve his pressure bandage from the coffee table. He slipped the tight garment sleeve up his right arm and strapped it into place. They were running a little late, but he didn't want to rush through any of his treatment. As tedious as the whole massage, oils, pressure garment acts were, the scarring and his movement were gradually improving over time. If their potential customers were pissed off for being delayed 5 minutes he'd just have to play the sympathy card, it's worked a couple of times before.

"You got the keys?" Damon called over his shoulder as he slipped on his shirt.

"Yup. Cabin number 3"

"Let's hope we can fill it, then we'll have got a full house"

* * *

><p><span><strong>ELENA'S POV<strong>

Elena was sure her ear drums were about to explode with Caroline's high-pitched singing in the back of the car. In the mirror she could see her tossing her perfectly curled and bouncy blonde hair from left the right. She could even see Bonnie starting to join in too. Even in the car with just Elena and Caroline she was always a little shy to fully let loose. Giggling at the ridiculous dancing going on in her car, Elena glanced to the road signs ahead, she indicated for the next left, the last turn out of Mystic Falls.

"I'm sure i've mentioned this before, but just in case, can I just say how EXCITED I am for this summer?"

"Don't worry, it's only the millionth time you've told us. I needed reminding!" said Elena, turning the music down a little. It was loud enough for them to get pulled over, she was sure of it!

"I can't wait to relax, it sounds pretty special this place" mused Bonnie.

"Did you just say **RELAX!?** As soon as we get there we're getting the beer, music and mini-barbecue on the go. We need to celebrate our graduation!" squealed Care, clapping her hands with excitement.

"Didn't we celebrate enough at Tyler's house party?" Elena said. The party was a week ago, but she was certain the remnants of a hangover were still lurking. It more than made up for the last house party of his that she attended. Horrid flashbacks of the whispering, the rumours and Stefan's suspicions made her skin crawl unpleasantly. This time however, she was no longer the butt of everyone's jokes or the hot gossip. Everything went back to how it was before. She was accepted and well liked among her friends once again. Even she and Stefan could hold a civil conversation. While she kept him at arms length, after everything that he did, he eventually came to his senses and perhaps things would have ended a lot differently had he continued to side with Isobel. In hindsight, she had to thank him.

"I was so ill after that party... never again" replied Bonnie.

"Pfft whatever. Everyone says that. We are going to have THE summer of a lifetime before we have the time of our LIVES at college."

"Okay," smirked Elena, turning the music up once more "I'll drink to that later!"

Finally they were on the open road. It wouldn't be too long until they would arrive for their summer long vacation. She could hardly wait.

* * *

><p><span><strong>DAMON'S POV<strong>

Damon and Alaric shook hands with the young couple who happily signed the contract for the last cabin. They were beaming with happiness. Clearly head over heels in love and ready to take on the world together. It was soppy, but Damon was pretty happy for them as they exchanged loving smiles as they both signed away.

"Signed and sealed" said the young man, handing the contract over to Alaric who exchanged further conversation. Damon checked his watch. Half an hour - wow they sealed that one quick.

They exited the cabin and Damon breathed in a lung full of sweet forrest air. His breathing had rapidly improved since moving out here. The air was cool and inviting and the tranquility made it the perfect place to recover. On days when he was brave enough, he'd venture out to the local town without the Ace Bandage on his arm. He got a few stares, but that was expected. On a night out having a few beers some people would even ask about it. He welcomed that. It was better to have people ask and accept it than steal glances from across the room and remain completely ignorant. He'd even made a few friends out of it. Who knew burn scars could strike up a conversation that would turn into friendship?

Ten minutes later he and Alaric were wandering back down the small woodland road back to his place. The sunlight was blinking through the leaves above their head, the sound of water could be heard lapping at the shore line near by. As the sun got a little hotter, Damon could almost count down the numbers to Alaric saying...

"Did you put on sun block?"

"No mom, I forgot"

Damon furrowed his brow as he heard Ric rumaging around in his manbag. Oh for goodness...

"You _actually _brought some with you?"

"Well one of us has to remember!"

Damon shook his head as he pleased Alaric by at least slapping some on the part of his neck that had suffered.

"And the face."

"Oh come on.."

"We don't wanna have that pretty little face of yours burnt in time for your date later today."

"Hmm," Damon thought, then squeezing a small amount of cream into his palm, "good point."

Damon tossed the bottle back to Ric and carefully rubbed the sweet smelling sunblock well into his neck and face. He had to be extra careful in the sun now. It was a bitch, but it had to be done. Didn't make it anymore welcoming that he smelt like a coconut on legs thanks to the scented sunblock, but he could live with that.

"Are you nervous?" Alaric asked as they came out into an open space with no shade. Wow, it was a good idea that Ric had that sunblock. It was boiling.

"A little," Damon replied, trying not to think of the worse case scenario but he couldn't help it. "I just hope I don't scare the poor girl off."

"I'm sure that's not gonna happen... she's"

"Do you mind if we don't talk about it, Ric?"

The two friends stopped in their tracks as Damon squinted through the blazing sunlight to look at his friend. A sudden rush of horrible thoughts and feelings bombarded Damon and he needed to get away.

"I'll head back down on my own. You go ahead." Damon said, his voice quite stern. Alaric knew better than to question back so just smiled his response and headed back down by himself.

Damon watched until he was lost through the thick greenery ahead. It suddenly felt easier to breathe now Ric was gone.

He wandered along to the shore, gazing out over the water, still in awe of how beautiful this place was. By his feet were a few pebbles, perfect for skimming. He became lost in the act, each pebble skipping along the sparkling water, numbing his mind from any thoughts other than trying to beat his best of four. When his last attempt glocked into the water with a heavy dolloping sound, it broke the shield around his worst thoughts. Settling them free once more.

What if she rejected him?

Just what if?

* * *

><p><span><strong>ELENA'S POV<strong>

A flood of memories came rushing back to Elena as she eased her car through the thick green foliage of the trees above. Moments later when the cabin came into view, she felt a lump form in her throat.

"Elena?" came Bonnie's nurturing voice.

Feeling herself start to shake, Elena quickly parked up the car next to that of... she didn't even know if the truck belonged to him. She gave it enough space as she put the car into park. They were here.

"This place is so cuuuuuute!" chimed Caroline from the back as she threw open the car door to immedietly start exploring. Elena let out a heavy sigh, slumping back into her seat and staring up at the cabin that held so many amazing memories for her.

A hand gripped her shoulder.

"Are you ok?"

Elena looked over with a smile, her eyes glassy with unshed tears.

"I'm fine... just... overwhelmed really."

Bonnie smiled with relief and made her way out of the car. Caroline was gushing over how gorgeous the lake was as she stood on the end of the jetty, pointing at various things and making occassional comments to no one in particular.

"This place is beautiful Elena" commented Bonnie as she gawped up at the trees that reach endlessly up to the sky. "It was definitely a good choice to come here."

Elena nodded, still staring at the quaint little cabin. They moved closer and instinctively it felt like there wasn't anyone at home.

"Hey!"

The girls twirled around to find Alaric wandering down towards them from a steep pathway that lead into the woodland. Elena was so happy to see him and threw her arms around him in a big bear hug.

"You finally made it" he said, moving back to clasp her shoulders and smile down at her. His attention caught Bonnie's timid form shuffling from side to side and he pulled her in for brief hug. "It's good to see you both."

"And you Ric... it's been too long"

Alaric had left Mystic Falls High at the end of _that _school year and Elena hadn't seen him since. After everything that had happened, all of them were happy to say goodbye to that place. She was envious that he had the option to do it sooner. He was now teaching at a small school not far from Dunham Lake. Elena couldn't help but think how lucky those kids were to have a teacher as good as he was. She just hoped he would never have to put up with a dilema such as her's and Damon's ever again!

Speaking of Damon... he was no where to be seen.

"Is he inside?" Elena asked timidly. She was so nervous.

"No he's still back there" Alaric said, lazily pointing behind him "if you carry on straight on you'll find him."

"I'm gonna go join Care. I'll see you soon Elena"

Elena nodded her goodbye and Bonnie made her way across to Caroline who was still jumping around with excitement.

"I see she hasn't changed," Alaric noted about Caroline. Elena smiled,

"Never a dull moment with her around."

Elena hesitated to make her way into the woods. She didn't quite know what to feel: nervous, excitement, apprehensive... everything was bundling into one.

"He's as worried as you are Elena," said Alaric, his voice barely above a whisper. "You just need to head straight. You'll find him."

Before she could respond Alaric moved aside and made his way over to her friends who were starting to unload the car of their belongings. Elena stared at the leafy pathway ahead and made her way towards where Damon would be.

She kept her eyes sharp. Every snap of a twig and rustle of leaves made her turn to look around for Damon coming up behind her. A squirrel caught her eye as it clambered up the trunk of a large tree and out of sight. Noisy little thing. Elena continued forward, feeling the sun become a little warmer as the leaves above her head grew less and less. A figure came into view and her breath caught in her throat. It was a runner, making a steadily jog through the woods. He bidded her a good afternoon as he huffed and puffed on by down the way she came.

She _was _nervous. The last time she saw Damon was when he was still in hospital. A year and a half ago. When she promised she would wait for him for as long as it takes. And here she was, nervous not because of what he may look like, but what if he didn't feel the same way any more? What if looking at her was a painful reminder of the past? Lets face it, she was the ultimate reason as to why his life had changed so much. Those burns would be a constant reminder of her and the lengths he went to protect her. She suffered with guilt greatly. Every time they talked on the phone she would end the call wondering if it would be the last time, that actually he couldn't face knowing her after everything that had happened. Yet he never did. Then on the morning of her graduation she received a letter in the mail. It was from Damon, inviting her to come and stay with him and to bring friends if she wished as a gift to congratulate her. It was the best present she had ever received.

Elena came to a clearing. She squinted as the sun beamed down on her face. Before her was the lake in all its beauty. People were out on the water in their sailing and speed boats... Elena couldn't help but smirk at the delicious memory of the time she and Damon took to the waters. A few people wandered by, young families, children running around chasing one another, a man sat quietly while his fishing rod bobbed along in the gentle water. Then among the few people who were on the small jetty was Damon. His back facing her as he tosses pebbles into the water, watching them dance along the surface.

She wasted no more time in making her way across. She waited for an elderly couple to make their way down until it was just Damon standing at the edge. He was wearing a three-quarter sleeved cotton grey t-shirt. She noticed how it hugged his toned body, but her attention was drawn in particular to the dark blue bandage-thing that looked quite snug on his right arm. She wondered if it was painful for him, yet the way he tossed another pebble quite freely with that arm, told her he must feel more comfortable than what she thought. It was a warm day, very warm and she wore mini denim shorts with a delicate summer top printed with daisies. Damon was pretty much covered and she knew he would be so warm.

She moved closer to him, until she saw his body tense. Knowing that someone was behind him. She held her breath, feeling her blood beat hard around her body as he turned around to face her.

She felt the same feelings come flooding back from the moment she first laid her eyes on him back in classroom E6. His icy blue eyes softened as they met hers and everything else around them seemed to disappear.

"Hey," he said softly, a tiny smirk creeping on to those gorgeous lips of his.

"Hi" she whispered, feeling herself shiver pleasantly as she stepped closer to him until she was standing right in front of him. He stood perfectly still as she hesitantly brought her hands to his face. She almost fell apart as her fingertips danced across his cheeks, causing his eyes to flutter and close at the touch. A small exhale of relief escaped his lips as they touched foreheads. His hands came up and rested on hers that cupped his face. The feel of his hands on hers made her feel so... at home. And in that moment as she opened her eyes to see him staring back, she realized that they were finally free.

And he kissed her like his life depended on it.

She welcomed each and every movement as he devoured her lips. She tangled her fingers through his hair and pressed her body hard against his as he tilted her body back to deepen their kiss, one of his hands resting at the back of her head while the other cradled the curve of her spine. His fingers gripped her body with need. Heavy breathing, the teasing of tongues, Elena felt her body being to hum with sexual tension until they simultaneously pulled apart as they heard sound of two elderly women gasping at their ahem... display of affection.

"Sorry ladies," Damon quipped breathlessly with a devilish grin on his face.

The podgy old women gasped once again with disgust and quickly made their exit from the jetty. Elena blushed and pulled herself closer to Damon's body as they giggled softly. It was the first time they had ever kissed in public. And it felt great.

She sighed softly to herself as he stroked her hair out of her face. She blinked down at his arm, seeing how tightly strapped up it was. Why was it so tight? She wanted to ask but felt too scared. Then her eyes travelled up to the side of his neck.. she quickly looked back to his eyes and knew she was sussed out. He was staring at her intently as she looked over what scarring she could see. He didn't look hurt by it. But she felt incredibly guilty.

"Wanna head back and talk?" he suggested.

"Sure," she whispered, kissing him softly once more as they made their way back to the cabin hand in hand.

* * *

><p><span><strong>DAMON'S POV<strong>

Well their attempts at talking monumentally failed. As soon as they arrived back to the cabin Alaric was already apron bound and tending to the barbecue while Caroline and Bonnie bopped around to music as they set up the outdoor table.

As the two girls came running over to see him, Damon knew any in-depth chat with Elena would have to wait. For now, as he carefully hugged the two girls, they would just enjoy having some much needed fun.

They devoured the excellent food that Alaric had prepared for them. Minted lamb kebab, burgers with hints of chilli... damn the guy knew how to cook. The conversation and laughter flowed well and the girls 'awed' as Damon later brought out a ridiculously large chocolate cake that congratulated the girls on their graduation. It was there from across the table, that he and Elena shared their first kiss in front of their friends. There was no awkward silence, no overjoyed squeal from Caroline, just continuing conversation and laughter around them and Caroline saying she wanted the part of the cake with the juiciest looking strawberries on top. Who knew acceptance could feel so good?

Damon cracked open the beers and handed one to each of the girls while Alaric set up the camp fire. It was silently acknowledged that Damon would very much prefer to not be involved in lighting it. Shortly after came the dancing as Caroline brought out the music. To his surprise, Damon saw Bonnie was quite the dancer once she'd got a few beers down her. So much so, it turned to a dance off between her and Alaric while Caroline controlled the shuffle on her music as best as she could through her laughter. Damon briefly stopped laughing to smile down at Elena as she moved to wrap her arm around his waist and snuggle her head on his chest. He wrapped his arm around her bare shoulder. Enjoying the feel of her cool skin as he pressed a soft kiss on her forehead. So _this _is what happiness felt like.

Eventually everyone settled around the fire, Elena disappeared inside for a moment and Damon thought she was going to get a blanket to keep warm. Instead she had found his leather jacket and they shared a knowing look at the memory of how he stopped that man attacking her outside the club, and how he wrapped his jacket around her body to keep her warm on the way home... wow that was such a long time ago. In that moment, as she slipped her hands through the crisp sleeves, he saw how much she had grown since then. She looked more stunning than ever as the soft glow of the fire highlighted her supple, olive-toned skin and the shapely curve of her bare legs. He was one lucky, lucky man.

"Everyone," slurred Caroline, grabbing everyone's slightly drunken attention as she stood up. "I would like to raise a toast" she slugged her fresh beer bottle in the air and the frothy liquid sloshed onto her hand a little, "well c'mooon, raise your freakin' beer bottles!" she pushed.

Damon rolled his eyes with amusement as he half heartedly raised his glass with the rest of the group.

"I just wanna say how happy I am that you... Damon and Elena... oh my god, it feels so weird calling an old teacher by their first name!" she blurbed, causing the laughter and slight embarrassment of everyone around her. "Anyways I digress... I just wanna say how happy I am that you have both made it through the other side after a really shitty time of it. And that I am ridiculously excited to spend this time with you before college. And that I want to be chief bridesmaid at your wedding... cheers!"

Elena buried her head against Damon's shoulder at Caroline's little speech as they all giggled and toasted to their celebrations. Damon quickly said something before Caroline mentioned anything more embarrassing.. like perhaps gushing about how cute he and Elena's children would be or something...

"And I would like to thank Alaric for being the best nurse I could ever ask for. Though he really ought to have left the cute nurses outfit at home. Didn't really do his legs any favours" Damon smirked.

"Har, har. Didn't see that one coming" said Ric over the head of his beer bottle.

A soft yawned came from Bonnie's direction.

"I think it's time for me to hit the hay" she mumbled, finishing the rest of her drink.

Everyone mumbled in agreement.

Alaric agreed to put out the fire and give the place a quick clean up outside. Damon squeezed Elena's hand as she whispered she was going to get ready for bed. He watched longingly as she made her way up to the cabin, glancing over her shoulder to smile at him before disappearing inside with Caroline and Bonnie.

Damon gulped the last of his lukewarm beer and tossed the glass into the trash. He began to tinker around with the barbecue, putting things away...

"Dude don't worry, I've got this" said Ric.

"Nah don't be ridiculous, I'll..."

Alaric yanked the spatula from Damon's hand and swatted his knuckles with it.

"Go" he said, swishing the implement in the direction of the door. Wow, he really was turning into a mother-type figure...a mother-figure that was ushering him to bed with a girl... okay, that was a weird thought.

Damon yawned his goodnight and headed into the cabin. He spotted Caroline and Bonnie turning down the bed in the guest room downstairs. It used to be a small study area that Damon had converted into a room for extra guests. He'd bought it from Alaric and had quickly turned it into a home. They invested in 3 other cabins too which as of today, were all taken. It had definitely been a wise move to leave teaching for good. Damon could never go back there.

"Goodnight ladies," he announced from across the room.

"G'night," called Bonnie. Then Caroline jumped into view with a cheeky little twinkle in her eyes

"Goodnight _Mr Salvatore_!"

Although amused he pointed his finger at her warningly before she laughed her head off and closed the door.

Alaric came in soon after and made himself comfortable on the couch for the night. Damon poured himself a large glass of water and one for Elena.

"Ric, you want anything from..."

Aaaaand there was the snoring. Ric was snuffed out like a light as usual after a few beers.

Nudging off the lights with his elbow, Damon carefully made his way with the two glasses of water upstairs to his room, mindful not to spill. He slipped into the room where he found the most welcoming sight he had ever seen.

Elena sat waiting for him in bed. The lamplight softening the content look in her eyes as he entered the room. At a glance he could see she was wearing a simple, black cotton vest top though the sheets covered the lower half of her body. He quickly handed the glass to her of which she took three heavy gulps. He sat down on his side of the bed as she did so, staring at the wall, elbows on his knees as he hunched over. Crap he could feel his chest tightening a bit.

"Damon are you okay?"

He didn't know how to answer that. He was about to reach over and turn out the light but he felt her petite body curl up behind him. Her breasts pushed against his back as she wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, nuzzling her head in the crook of his neck, on the left side away from the scarring on the right.

He took one of her hands and stroked his thumb back and forth over her soft skin and kissed the curve between her thumb and finger.

"Come on," she whispered in his ear, sending delicious chills down his spine, "come into bed with me."

He turned to face her and she kissed him softly, beckoning him to face her. He turned fully so he was on his knees on the bed and she had scooted back against the headboard. He remembered the times he would do this and proudly show his body to her, loving the look on her face as she took in his lean physique. He was still quite toned, he'd managed to do various exercises that kept him in good shape. Still, it did nothing to help the fact that his body will never be what it was. He'd had a number of skin graft operations to ease his ability to move and smooth the appearance of his skin and with pressure garments and massage they would gradually improve over time. However his confidence wasn't exactly what it used to be. He still struggled to look at himself in the mirror and accept that this was the way he was now and it wasn't going to change. No amount of counselling could help that. He stared down at Elena with hard eyes that masked his fear. He knew he didn't fool her. She watched and waited...

_Here goes nothing... _

Damon reached back behind his neck and pulled the material back over his head. He didn't look at her as he bunched the shirt up and tossed it into the corner of the room. The window in the room was open slightly and a gentle breeze blanketed his damaged skin. He felt pretty ugly right about now and if he could use magical powers to switch the lamp off beside his bed he would have done so.

"Pretty horrible right?" he mumbled, finally looking up at her to see her staring at his chest. It wasn't with horror, or disgust, it was pretty unreadable actually. He waited a few more seconds and was going to grabbed his shirt again from wherever he threw it but she began to shuffle closer to him.

He didn't move as he stared down at her, watching her eyes travel across his torso. Her hands timidly went to touch him but she moved them back. He didn't blame her. But rather than move back into her lap she moved them over to the bandage on his arm.

"May I?"

"Sure," he replied, feeling his breathing begin to shake as the sharp sound of velcro scratching through the air broke the silence in the room. One strap. Two straps. The material slacked around his arm and with trembling hands, she tugged the bandage down his arm until it was completely off.

He heard her breath hitch in her throat, clearly shocked and he knew to expect that reaction. It really wasn't easy to look at. He flinched slightly as her fingertips ghosted across the mangled skin. It was smooth in texture, quite rubbery almost, pink, mottled and uneven. Yet she continued to become acquainted with his new body. Her right hand moved across to the left side of his body that was perfect with soft, beautifully pale skin with toned muscle moving underneath. Her left explored the uneven texture and painful looking skin on his right. Thankfully the flames hadn't reach his stomach, nor his face... say for a little redness on the underside of his jaw from the scarring on his neck. She stroked both hands down to his right hand that he flexed for her. He watched the skin become a little tight, but it didn't cause pain anymore.

Damon took the time then to stare at her body. She was on her knees like he was, in nothing but matching black cotton underwear and tank top. The black material complimented her skin tone beautifully. He felt a stir below as he took in the curve of her waist, the sight of her cleavage. He wanted her so bad. To relive the times spent together before. Yet would she want him looking like this? It wasn't nice to see or to touch. He didn't feel attractive anymore. Just a victim of a terrible, terrible event.

"Let me cover up 'Lena, I'm sure you've seen more than you-"

"Don't" she said, placing her hands on both sides of his chest as he moved to stand up.

She stopped him from saying anything further by placing her lips over his in a soft kiss. He returned it, gasping as her tongue slipped over his bottom lip. Then he deepened it. Needing to taste her. She moaned breathlessly as he took control, the sound driving him insane with lust.

She pushed away for a minute and he thought she had changed her mind. Until she wordlessly pulled her top over her head. Her full, bare breasts bouncing before his eyes. With a look of pure desire she inched closer to his body until her breasts pushed against his chest and her arms wrapped around his neck, wrapping him in her embrace as she kissed him with so much fire and passion. Hands tumbling through his hair, her bottom lip biting his and causing him to growl with appreciation.

He found his stride again and gently laid her back on the bed, breaking their kiss to move back and watch as he peeled her underwear from her body. Fuck... she was a Goddess. She happily parted her legs, welcoming him home. He worked his way between her thighs, nipping and kissing her inner thigh as he made himself comfortable. He wasted no time. He flicked the tip of his tongue back and forth over her clit, keeping the rhythm soft and steady, remembering exactly how she loved it.

She gasped so loud he feared they would already have gained the attention of everyone downstairs. But he didn't really care as he set a deliberately slowly pace on her swollen nub. Circling his tongue around and around, feeling her become wetter and hotter under his touch. He glanced upwards to see her magnificent breast heaving, gasping himself as he watched her fingers tweak her nipples. Shit that was hot.

"Damon... Oh please, I'm gonna come any second..."

He never changed his pace. Circling around again and again, feeling her body begin to shudder. Until the very last second before she tipped into paradise, Damon slipped his tongue deep inside her slick, quivering walls. She drove her hands into his hair, pushing him down harder. He gripped the underside of her toned thighs as he felt her contract around him as he continued to make love to her with his tongue until she was slowly riding back down to earth.

A gorgeous sheen of sweat coated her petite body as he glided upwards, leaving a trail of kisses along her toned stomach. Swirling his tongue over her left nipple, causing her to gasp in spent pleasure as she flickered open her hazy brown eyes.

He was willing to give her a few more minutes to recover, but she was a little firecracker tonight. He found himself being rolled over and pushed back on to the bed, her hands getting to work on his jeans. He was rock hard. He hissed with pleasure as she practically ripped his boxers down his legs and curled her tiny fist around his cock.

Damon gripped the pillows at either side of his head as she took him into her mouth. Humming with satisfaction as she took him fully. The vibrations of her mouth were so delicious and had him reeling. She bobbed up and down several times at a steady pace, massaging his balls until he was close. She then became slower in her actions and he could feel her smiling around his cock.

"You _know _you're being terribly mean to me, Miss Gilbert" he groaned.

"Mhm" she hummed, causing his cock to twitch in her warm, wet mouth. She swirled her silky tongue around the head, tasting him, making him shudder.

"But I was _so_ nice to you," he protested, gripping the sheets harder as her thumb flicked over the tip, then she began to pump her fist up and down with a hard grip. Exactly the way he like it. "Ah! Fffffuck...!"

She slipped her tight mouth over his dick once more until he was coming down her throat in hot, thick, jets. He rode out the last pulse, feeling Elena swallow his load as she continued to slide her head up and down his length.

No sooner had she removed her lips from his cock he was hard once again. As he watched her bite her bottom lip, then sneakily lick away the last remnants of his release, Damon grabbed her and threw her down on to the bed.

He entered her within seconds.

Both gasped at how good it felt. Their hot breath mingling. Damon picked up a hard yet steadily rhythm as she kissed him hungrily from beneath his body. He rolled his hips a little harder, watching her face contort with pleasure as he stared at her through heavy-lidded eyes as he hit that euphoric spot inside her once, twice, three times until she was repeating his name over and over between hard kisses.

"Damon... mmh! Harder!"

The clear sound of flesh slapping flesh filled the room. He looked down to see where they were joined intimately, to her breast swaying up and down, her hands gripping his buttocks, guiding him in harder and deeper.

"OHH!"

Now that for sure woke everyone up. But Damon couldn't help but want to hear her scream like that again. Her cries of pleasure over the banging of the headboard. Damon silenced it a little by leaning upwards to grab it with both hands and if it were possible, it helped him to fuck her even harder.

She grazed her hands over his body that hovered over hers, he watched her with wild eyes as she gazed at where he pounded into her. The only part of his body touching hers as she continued to use the headboard for leverage as he doubled his efforts.

Then he almost lost it as he watched her hand reach down between them to touch herself. One hand tweaking her nipple, the other drawing rapid circles over her clit.

"Damn it you're so beautiful" he growled, feeling the sweat build between their grinding hips.

"Damon I'm close again... make me come..."

Her hands reached up to join his on the headboard and he quickly placed his over hers. Keeping them pinned. Then he rapidly picked up the pace. Watching her body move with the force of his thrusts and her eyes fix on his. Her breathing became irregular, her hands tensed under his. She bit her lip, her body began to shake. She was coming so hard.

She contracted and squeezed around him. Sending him into euphoria with her.

With a final moan and growl of complete pleasure, Damon lessened his grip on her hands as he emptied himself inside her. Heavy breathing soon filled the space between them. Weak, in slight pain with his right arm, yet ultimately exhausted in post-orgasm bliss, Damon relaxed down on to Elena's body. She wrapped her arms tightly around him as he breathed heavily into the crook of her neck.

"I love you" she whispered.

Damon smiled against her warm skin, kissing the curve of her neck, then chin, meeting her lips in a warm, lazy kiss.

"I love you too Elena"

She replied with another kiss and Damon could see how tired she had become. The sweat between began to cool, making her shiver. He dragged the blankets over their bodies and reached across to flick off the lamp, leaving them in darkness with their breathing slowly returning to normal.

A tremendous sense of déjà vu came over him. Of Elena curled up to his body in this bed almost two years ago. Although back then, her head rested on his perfect skin, not the scar tissue as it was now. They were so happy. So excited for their future. Yet terrified at the same time.

How much had they overcome...

Now all they had were her college years to get through. And compared to the dramas of high school, this time it was going to be a walk in the park. The only thing in their way being an hours drive on the freeway.

As he looked down at Elena, sleeping soundly, Damon felt he could most certainly manage that.

**_The End._**


End file.
